


The Fruits of Eternity

by Shelb253947



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Good Omens (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:54:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 71,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26034511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shelb253947/pseuds/Shelb253947
Summary: Alexandra Jane Crowley: The only daughter of Crowley and Aziraphale. Her short life has already been wrought with pain, but will a 900 year old alien be able to help her move on from memories that she would rather forget? Or will her adventures with the Doctor only add more pain to her life?
Relationships: 9/OC, Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Kudos: 14





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, or Good Omens. The only character that is solely my creation is Alexandra.

**_February 2_** ** _nd_ ** **_,_** ** _1982_ **

On the day this story begins, it was a dark and stormy night. In fact, it was probably one of the worst storms in living memory. A storm such as this would not be seen again for another 8 years when Adam Young, would come into his demonic powers and start, but also avert the Apocalypse. It only made sense that the daughter of an angel and a demon would come into the world on this night. However, that may have been her own sense of humor seeing as she was actually supposed to have been born three months from now, but like most things created by Crowley, this too had backfired. Her angelic parent, on the other hand, had spent a majority of that time hovering and attempting to remain calm enough for both of them. Aziraphale would never admit to it, but later when he laid his daughter in her little bassinet to rest, he would break down crying that both her and his husband had come out unscathed. Though, his daughter was a rather small thing considering she was born much earlier than was intended. Crowley would chalk his premature labor on the fact that he had told his daughter that Queen’s music would sound much better when she didn’t have layers of his skin between her and the outside world. 

The twenty-four hours of agony did; however, bear the fruits of Crowley’s labor (in both senses of the word) as he (having returned to his male corporation after the arrival of their daughter) and Aziraphale gazed upon the slumbering newborn. The little one yawned with a little stretch, burrowing further into Crowley’s chest as he held her. She didn’t seem at all affected by the fact that she hadn’t been done cooking in Crowley’s womb. The little girl was just exactly that. Little. 

Aziraphale reached over to smooth down the little tufts of mahogany hair that we’re sticking up. He smiled softly as the baby let out another yawn that was accompanied by the flutter of cloud grey wings, “Oh, Crowley…she’s perfect.” 

Crowley gently folded her wings, so that he could better see her round face. The mew of thin lips turns into a scowl as the light from the bedside lamp hit her face, disturbing her sleep. Crowley and Aziraphale both flinch when the bulb blows. A wail escapes from the girl at the sound causing Crowley to softly shush her cooing, “It’s okay, little Sssprout. You showed that lamp who’s bossss.” 

Aziraphale softly snaps his fingers to allow a small amount of light it emanate from above them as she turns her head further into Crowley’s chest in an attempt to escape the light that still seemed determined to interrupt her sleep. He leans down to press a kiss to red hair causing an already smushed upturned nose to crinkle in annoyance as the newborn once again scowled. Aziraphale shook his head in defeat, "She'll need to work on her people skills. Her face might freeze that way.” 

The girl wails loudly causing Crowley to glare at his husband as tries to calm his daughter, “Don’t lisssten to him. He’ssss just grumpy causssse I’m your favorite.” 

Aziraphale rolls his eyes at that statement, but leans down to run a finger down the newborn’s nose, “Papa loves your face, I’m sure you’ll grow into it beautifully.” 

The little cherub whimpers before latching on with small chubby fingers to Aziraphale’s pointer as continues to rub her nose. Aziraphale beams as he allows his daughter to hold his finger as tightly as her little hand can,” You know, Crowley, I was thinking she should have your last name given that your name is a proper human name.” 

Crowley nods as he fights back a yawn, “Alright, Angel. She sssstill needs a firsssst and middle name though. “ He had begun hissing due to the sheer exhausion he felt, but he thought that he had earned the right to be tired given that he had spent the last day pushing something the size of a beach ball out of his body. 

Aziraphale gets a big smile on his face, and Crowley quickly amends, “No biblical namessss. I’m not forccccing that on her. She can change her name when she’s older if she wants one, but for now…no biblical names.” 

Aziraphale deflates,” I suppose that means that Eden is out.” 

Crowley rolls his eyes. He understands the significance behind that name considering that it had been were him and Aziraphale had first met, but Eden just didn’t seem to fit the little sprout slumbering away in his arms. Crowley gives their daughter another thoughtful glance over, “Alexandra?” 

The little girl coos as if approving of the suggestion causing Aziraphale to chuckle, “Seems to me that our little sprout approves of that one.” 

Crowley smiles softly down at the girl, who had taken to gripping onto his black silk pajama top. He leans down to press a kiss to her tiny forehead, “Alexandra Crowley. She’s perfect.” 

Aziraphale frowns, “Hold on... wasn’t there an Alexandra Crowley already? That red-haired woman in 1599 at the Globe theater.” 

Crowley rolls his eyes, “Her name was Alexandra Ssssmith. She only introduced herself as Crowley first because I had just introduced myself.” Crowley glances at his daughter, “She does look remarkably ssssimilar though, I'll give you that. Especially that hair.” 

Little Alexandra chose that moment to blink her little eyes open causing both parents' eyes to widen as they took in the blue serpentine eyes with a ring of golden yellow around the pupils. Eyes that flicked slowly between the two of them as if she was well aware of the attention that she was getting before closing when another yawn came from Alexandra’s tiny mouth. 

Crowley and Aziraphale share a worried look at the merging of both their eyes before gazing back down at their little Alexandra. Both of them hoping that her life would be easier than theirs. Little did they know that a calm simple life was not in the cards for that precious little girl. How could their little hybrids life ever be simple? 

**_January_ ** **_1_** ** _st_ ** **_, 2005_**

Little Alexandra was not so little anymore. She had grown into quite a unique young woman. The little tufts of hair had grown to reveal a mop of curls lurking underneath. Her eyes had remained blue, gold, and serpentine, and she often wore one of the several spare pairs of her father’s sunglasses to hide them in public. If anyone were to catch her without her sunglasses on then they might take notice of the make that when strange things happened around her, the golden rings around her pupils seemed to glow, which neither Crowley or Aziraphale had ever been able to explain. 

She had grown a pair of wings in the 23 years since her birth, not that humans could see them as they were kept safely in another dimension off their own. However, if the humans could see them then they would resemble in shape those of a peregrine falcon, which meant that she could fly quite fast when she needed to. The color of her wings; however, didn’t resemble those of a bird at all. The once grey feather had become black with speckles of white, yes, but blue nebulae would dance across the black feathers. Alexandra liked to speculate that her wings were echoes of the stars, planets, and nebulae that her Dad had created when he was still an angel. In addition, if one were to look close enough then they might notice the black feathers lightened towards the bottom as if they were hiding the divinity within her. At least these observations would be true if she still had her wings of course. She doesn’t though. Hasn’t for a long time. All that’s left of those beautiful wings are the large scarred patches of skin near her shoulder blades where they used to be. 

Right now, Alexandra was walking along one of the snow-covered paved walkways of St. James' Park. She wasn’t paying much attention; however, as she had her head buried in a leather-bound edition of Shakespeare’s _Macbeth_ , which was one of her favorites. She related to Lady Macbeth's advice to her husband in Act 1, scene 3, about being the serpent under an innocent flower. Quite literally as well, seeing as she had inherited a serpentine form from Crowley to go along with her blue snake eyes. Her serpent form resembled a large rattlesnake, but she did not possess black scales and a red belly like her Dad did. Instead she was largely white in color, with a redhead that resembled her human form, and speckles of red littered the expanse of white scales. Her rattle was red in color as well. Alexandra doesn’t spend much time as a snake, but she does enjoy sun bathing as a snake from time to time. The longest she had remained in her snake form was the span of week in the 1990s when Adam Young, the Antichrist threatened to bring about the Apocalypse, but that had been avoided. No thanks to her parents, who hasn’t been all that competent when it came to stopping the end of the world. Alexandra still couldn’t figure out for the life of her how they had managed to watch over the wrong child. 

Alexandra was so engrossed in her book that she didn’t see the large blue phone box that was in the middle of her path. Although, she had made this trip around the park while reading several times, and had never run into anything, so it made a reasonable amount sense for her not to expect anything to suddenly be in her way. Alexandra just kept walking along until her book was smashed against her face causing her sunglasses to crack. She hissed as she took a step back to observe the obstacle in her way, and was confused to see a police public call box, which she was quite certain hadn’t been there at all in the entire history of St. James Park. 

Looking around she adjusted her sunglasses, but found no police that could have possibly been the owners of this box, so she decided to continue on her walk around the park. However, _Macbeth_ , was not half as interesting. She would read a few words, only for her mind to drift back to that box, and wonder why it was right there. I mean it was 2005, not the 1960s. No need for police boxes. Alexandra huffed as she gave up on her book, and stuffed it in her bag before continuing on her walk with her hands shoved in the pockets of her black wool coat. She eventually reached the lake, which had frozen over due to the cold. The same cold that was making her nose exceedingly red. Alexandra was beginning to regret her idea of coming to the park in the first place as she now wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed at her parents’ South Downs cottage and sleep. **Stupid bromating instinct,** she thought to herself. **Snakes don’t exactly like the winter. You should know this. You know? Considering you are one, but no. Had to go outside.** Granted, Alexandra wasn’t going to die of the cold like a normal snake would. She was still a supernatural being, and was inside a human corporation. However, her likeness to a snake certainly made the cold an annoyance. 

Alexandra comes upon a man sitting under an apple tree staring at the frozen lake. She smiles softly as she nods towards lake, “You’ve picked a bad time to come duck watching. They’ve all gone to warmer places.” She glances at the grey overcast sky, “Wish I was a duck. I wouldn’t be nearly as cold cause I’d be in like Mexico or something. I don’t know.” 

“What’s its name?” The man asked in a hoarse northern accent as if it was the first time he’s ever spoken. 

She frowned as she took in the man’s appearance. He was taller than her, but that wasn’t hard to do considering her short stature. His hair was short as if it had been recently shaven, and was growing back. His clothes were all dark hues, which was similar to her own dark clothes. She glances back at the lake, “As far as I know, it doesn’t have a name.” 

“Everything’s got a name.” 

Alexandra huffed, “I suppose it’s called St James' Park Lake, but that’s not a very good name.” She sat down beside the man, “I’m Alexandra. What’s your name?” 

The man didn’t answer, got up from his place under the tree, and began walking away. He had no intentions of discussing his recent actions with a girl who probably wouldn’t even be able to comprehend them. Alexandra; however, quickly got up to follow after him, “What’s wrong?” 

“Didn’t anyone teach you not to talk to strangers?” He asked not turning around. 

She rolled her eyes, “Yes, actually. They did. I’m choosing to ignore that advice right now because you seem sad.” 

“What time is it?” The man asked taking in the overcast dark sky. 

Alexandra glanced at her watch, “Midnight. Why?” 

“Where do you live?” 

Alexandra’s curiousness turned to wariness at that question, “Why do you want to know?” 

“It's dangerous to be alone at this time of night,” he pointed out as he finally turned to face her. 

Alexandra sighs, “A cottage near South Downs. I have a car though. I can get home safely enough.” 

“Then go home.” 

Alexandra glared at him, “No. You can’t tell me what to do. I’ll go home when I’m ready to. Why can’t I go where you’re going?” 

“And where am I going?” He asked as if he himself didn’t even know the answer 

She nods towards the blue box, “That box probably. It’s yours isn’t it?” 

“How do you know it’s mine?” 

“Well… I don’t really now. It’s an educated guess. It’s suddenly shows up in the park, I run into it, I find you, and you’re acting all mysterious. The way I figure, mysterious man must own the mysterious blue box.” 

He shakes his head, “Don’t wanna go back there. I’ve tried. It's too quiet.” 

Alexandra frowns, “Too quiet?” 

The man looked at Alexandra thoughtfully, trying to decide if he should confide in this curious little red head, who had been nothing but nice to him. He decided that if it would get her to leave him alone, then he would tell her. He hadn’t told Rose. Maybe he should have. “I’ve did something really bad, “he began. 

“So, have I,” Alexandra remarks, “Who hasn’t done something bad in their life? “ 

“Not as bad as this. I hurt so many people.” 

She shook her head in exasperation before replying “So? Make it right again.” As if this hadn’t occurred to him already. 

“Not as easy as you make it sound,” He explained as he pushed a bit of hair that had fallen into Alexandra’s face back behind her ear that was turning red from the cold. 

“I don’t know of this'll make any difference considering that neither of us knows the other, but you seem like a good man to me.” 

“How would you know?” 

“Oh…you’re a little slow on the uptake, aren’t you? I know because you feel bad about what you did. That much is obvious. A bad person wouldn’t have remorse.” 

The man finally cracked a smile at her causing her to beam. “You’re as sharp as a tack, aren’t you?” The man remarked. 

Alexandra shrugged looking at her feet, “I have my moments.” She looked back up at him, “Anyway, if you can’t fix what you’ve done… then maybe you could…oh I don’t know… make up for it somehow. You know? Help people. Make it feel like you’ve done some good in place of this bad thing you did.” 

He holds up a hand as his face hardens,” But…” 

She holds up her own finger to convey that she was, in fact not done, “Now, yes. You may not be able to make up for what you did. You can try though.” 

The man didn’t reply, but Alexandra just smiled softly at him before asking in a whisper, “What’s your name?” 

He sighed, “The Doctor.” 

Alexandra lays a hand on his chest, “You made a mistake. Yes. You’ll always have to live with that pain in your hearts, but you are capable of being who you were again. You can be the Doctor.” 

He nodded listening intently to Alexandra. **Who would’ve thought that** **this woman could’ve had so much wisdom for being so young?** He thought to himself. Alexandra pulls her hand away causing the warmth it had brought to the Doctor’s chest to flee along with it. She nodded towards the entrance to the park, “I'd better get going. Wouldn’t want to push my luck.” She winked at him as she began to walk away. 

“Do you wanna come with me?” The Doctor asked, feeling foolish for thinking that this Alexandra would come when Rose hadn’t. Alexandra hadn’t even known him for more than a few minutes. 

She turns to him with a small smile, “I will...on one condition.” 

“What’s that then?” 

“I’ll come with you. If you can put the past behind you and go and save someone. Anyone. Make a difference. Live for the present, and the future to come.” 

The Doctor nodded to himself as he began to feel hope brindle in his chest again as he decided to do just as the she had said. He could be the Doctor again. He would be the Doctor again. “Fantastic” He says heading for the blue box causing Alexandra to follow after him. 

She smirks, “We won’t both fit in there.” 

He doesn’t reply as he simply opens the door allowing her to see inside the box. Behind her sunglasses, the slit pupils of her eyes blew wide, and looked almost human as she took in the impossibly huge room. Her jaw begins to unhinge, but she quickly catches it as she takes a step into the room. She glanced down at the red-tiled ramp that led to a hexagonal platform before looking around the room again. The walls were a golden color with smaller hexagonal shapes traveling from the roof down to the floor. The entire room was supported by six coral pillars, and several black wires connected to the console in the middle of the room, which also had a hexagonal shape to it. 

The Doctor walks past me to pull a lever causing the rotor in the middle to move up and down as Alexandra looks at him wide eyed behind my sunglasses, “It’s dimensionally transcendental!” 

The smirk that had been on the Doctor’s face was quickly replaced by shock, “How do you know that? No one is meant to know that.” 

She moves her sunglasses to the top of my head, “Not exactly human. My room at home has a closet that opens to a library in it.” 

There is a whirling noise as he shoves what appears to be a metal probe in her face, “If you're not human than what species?” 

Alexandra shoves the probe out of her face, “Maybe if you stopped whirling me then I would tell you.” 

The Doctor reluctantly puts away the probe as the redhead in front of him sighs, “I’m a hybrid. Part angel, part demon.” 

“Those don’t exist.” 

“Maybe not in your neck of the universssse, but on Earth they ccccertanly do.” Alexandra hisses lowly at him. 

He holds up his hands in surrender, “Sorry. My mistake.” He moves back to the console to pull another lever causing the room to jerk, and Alexandra grab the console before she hit the grated floor, “What’s with the long s sounds?” 

She rolls her eyes, “Part demon. My Dad can turn into a snake, so I can to. Hence the hissing.” Alexandra’s annoyance rolls off her as she glances at the Doctor, who had danced around her to flick switches to the right of her, “You’re not exactly human either. I mean you have a spaceship. What are you?” 

“Alien.” 

Alexandra resists the urge to roll her eyes at the short answer, “Yeah. I got that bit. From where though.” 

He pauses in his dance around the console before looking at her blankly, “Does it matter?” 

She gets the feeling that it’s a sore subject for him, so she backs off, “No. I suppose not. Can I at least know the name of your species? If not, then that is fine too. I’ll just call you a Martian if anyone asks.” 

The Doctor sighs heavily, “I’m a Timelord.” 

Alexandra nods slowly as she absorbs the word into her dictionary, “A bit pompous, are we?” 

That gets a chuckle as the room stops shaking, “I didn’t come up with the name, you know?” 

She smirks, “Well...Whoever did must have thought quite highly of themselves. I mean Lords of Time? Cocky if you ask me.” 

The Doctor smirks as he gestures towards the door. Alexandra beams in excitement, “What's out there?” 

He just gestures towards the door again, and she lowers her sunglasses before skipping towards the door, pushes the door opens, and looks around the plaza they seemed to be in. The Doctor shuts the door behind her as she turns her head to whisper, “Where are we?” 

“Why are you whispering?” He asks loudly causing her to cringe as it disturbs the early morning air. 

“I don’t know, but seriously...where are we?” 

“November 22nd, 1963 in Dallas Texas.” 

Alexandra turns to him with a wince, “You took me to see the Kennedy Assassination?” 

He nods as he gently places a hand on her lower back to lead her towards the sidewalk by the road, “If you’re going to travel in the Tardis then you need to understand that some things are fixed and can’t be changed. No saving John F. Kennedy.” 

She frowns, “Oh.” 

“Do you still wanna come with me?” 

Alexandra looks up at him, and she can see the loneliness and despair that he was trying so desperately to hide from her now, but she could still see it. He wanted her to come. He wouldn’t have asked, twice now, if he hadn’t. He was so lonely. She could bare the sad times to come if it meant that he didn’t have to feel alone. She nods with a sad smile, “Yeah. Just because we can’t save him doesn’t mean that we can’t save someone else in a different time.” 

The Doctor smiles softly down at her as she turns to where the sun was rising to feel the sun on her face. He glances at his watch, “It’s 7 AM, motorcade doesn’t come through until 12:30 PM. We have time if you wanted to explore.” 

Alexandra holds up a hand as she points to one building that had a perfect view of where they were standing, “Is that the Book depository?” 

He nods, “Yup. How’d you know?” 

She raises an eyebrow at him in exasperation, “I read a lot. I’ve seen pictures.” 

He fights back a chuckle, “Of course. _Macbeth_ in the park. Sorry.” 

Alexandra shakes her head as she points towards the Tardis, “So your spaceship is called the Tardis? What’s that stand for? I’m guessing something to do with time and space considering we are in 1963 instead of 2005.” 

“It stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space.” 

She cringes, “Bit of a mouthful.” 

“That’s why it's called Tardis for short,” The Doctor explains slowly. 

He isn’t shocked to see a pair of eyes roll behind the dark sunglasses, “Yeah. I got that bit.” 

Alexandra looks around the plaza again before turning to him sheepishly, “Was it really one shooter?” She quickly holds up a hand as he goes to answer, “No! No. Don’t tell me. I don’t wanna know. Although...” She glances back at the Tardis, “Was the Roswell ship real?” 

The Doctor raises an eyebrow, “Do you really wanna know this time?” 

She nods with a small smile. He nods very slowly making sure that she got the message before watching her small smile stretch from ear to ear as she turns away with a smirk and a whisper, “Fantastic.” 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

Alexandra groans as pain throbs in the back of her head as she forces her eyes open to see water swirling around her. She blinks in confusion as she tries to remember why she was surrounded by water before slowly moving her head to see the rest of her surroundings. Her vision blurs as the pain flares at the movement, but she’s able to make out that she is laying on a long wooden crate in front of an iceberg. As her vision clears, she sees the Doctor clinging to the iceberg with one hand while trying to keep her crate from drifting away with the other. 

Memories of taking the place of a couple on board the Titanic after convincing them to not that the trip themselves come rushing back to her. As does memories of white-hot pain overwhelming her senses as a pipe burst causing one end to smack into the back of her skull before everything went black. 

Alexandra groans as she moves to cling onto the iceberg as well allowing the Doctor to let go of the crate, and steady himself. She looks at him with half lidded eyes that are glazed over in pain, “Have I told you how much I hate you?” 

He chuckles, “Yeah. You were shouting that down the hall after me as the ship broke in half.” 

She shakes her head, but regrets it when the pain radiates to behind her eyes. The Doctor frowns as she squeezes her eyes shut before explaining, “The pipe cracked your skull.” 

“Yeah. I can tell. Thanksss. What now?” 

The Doctor looks back at the crate, which had drifted far away, and at Alexandra, who was barely coherent and shaking as the cold settled on her pale ivory skin. He sighs, “We wait.” 

“For...For what?” 

“The RMS Carpathia. It’s gotten the S.O.S. by now and is on its way.” 

She gives him another glare, “What time issss it now, and how long will we be clinging to the literal icccceberg that ssssunk the Titanic?” 

He winces at her hissing before glancing at his watch, “2:24 AM. The Carpathia doesn’t arrive for another two hours.” 

Alexandra gives him a dirty look, which almost makes him wish that he sunk along with the ship, “I’m gonna kill you when we get back to the Tardissss.” 

The Doctor can’t help the soft smile that comes over his face at what he knows is an empty threat, “Of course you will, love.” He reaches out to smooth wet hair out of her face, “Sleep. I won't let you fall into the water.” 

Her eyes flutter shut, “You better not.” 

He chuckles softly, “Wouldn’t dream of it, Stardust.” 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

**_January_ ** **_2_** ** _nd_ ** **_, 200_** ** _5_ **

Alexandra beams as she breathes in the chilled air outside her parents’ cottage in South Downs. She turns back to the Doctor, who was leaning against the Tardis. She smirks as she points between him and the box, “Don’t go running off without me. I just wanna explain to my dear old dads why their daughter will most likely be disappearing for weeks at a time if not months.” 

He smiles softly, “Wouldn’t dream of it, Stardust.” 

She nods approvingly, “Alright then. Be back in a few.” 

The Doctor watches as Alexandra saunters down the path leading to the front door, which cut between a garden that wrapped around the expanse of the cottage all the way to the back. He still felt bad for the way her clothes were clinging to her thanks to a ship wreck and a tsunamic caused by the eruption of Krakatoa, but she had just beamed despite the bruises around her eyes and the back of her head from fractured skull she still sported. He chuckled remembering how the girl had seemed to enjoy seeing history pass around her even if they weren't three of the sadder moments that couldn’t be changed. 

Inside the cottage, the conversation seemed to be going very well for Alexandra, but then again her parents, the Them, Newt, Anathema, Madame Tracy, and Sergent Shadwell, and herself had all survived the Little Apocalypse that Couldn’t, so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that an alien wanted to take her on adventures across the universe. 

“Do you trust him?” Aziraphale asks with concern written plainly on his face. 

Alexandra sighs, “He managed to get my unconscious body off the Titanic and on a floating crate, and keep me from floating away on said crate while he clung to an iceberg with one hand.” 

Crowley and Aziraphale just stared at her with wide unblinking eyes. She can’t help the snort that comes out of her nose at their faces as she nods, “Yes. I trust him.” 

That seemed to placate both of them, though she was still choosing to keep her sunglasses on to avoid showing the bruises that had cropped up a few hours after being knocked unconscious by a steel pipe. Her shoulder length curly hair hid the ones behind her ears and on her neck, but it was probably best to leave the injury out of the conversation, or they’d never let her leave their sight. 

She was brought of her thoughts by Aziraphale getting up to get biscuits for her to take on her trip, which left her under her demonic father’s unblinking golden eyes. She gulps as she places her cup of tea on the table between them. Crowley’s eyes narrow, “You’re hurt.” 

Alexandra’s head whips up at that causing her to wince as the stiffness in her neck and the throb behind her eyes. There went keeping that a secret. She sighs as she slowly removes her sunglasses, “Yeah. But it's not hissss fault. I swear. A pipe burst, and part of it went flying into the back of my head.” 

Crowley looks over his shoulder to ensure that Aziraphale wasn’t within eyesight before leaning over to place a hand on his daughter's soft face. Warmth floods through her head as there is a crack as her skull bones fuse back together, and bruises fade back to the normal ivory shade of her skin. 

Alexandra looks at her Dad in shock as he winks at her, “Our little secret. Just like the fact that I created a majority of the stars in space, which from the sounds of it you’ll be getting to see up close and personal.” 

She beams knowing that despite the fact that the Doctor was practically a stranger to them, her trust of him had managed to convince not just Aziraphale, but Crowley as well into allowing her to travel with him. Alexandra frowns, “Why are you letting me go? He’s a complete stranger?” 

Crowley huffs, “Can’t say I'm happy about it, but you’re an adult. You can make your own choices. And...” He looks at her lovingly as he glances back at the kitchen before giving her his full attention, “Sprout, You’ve always been so much like us. Not that that’s a bad thing, but I think it's time you found yourself. Made your own path in the world. If this makes you happy then I'm all for it because I love you, and all I’ve ever wanted since you first opened those deep blue eyes of yours was for you be happy. Now you’ve found something that does. I can’t take that away from you.” 

Alexandra can’t help the tears that make their way down her cheeks at the sight of her own father tearing up in front of her. “Oh, Dad...” She whispers as she gets up to engulf him in a crushing hug. She pulls away with a weak chuckle as her Dad wipes away her tears, “Dad. I’ll be back. Promise. I can literally blink my eyes and be anywhere, remember? Who else am I gonna listen to Queen with, or share gardening tips with? Or cause mischief with?” 

He cackles, “Or pretend that you’ve read all those books that your father babbles on and on about.” 

“Hey! I have read some of them, but don’t tell him I said this, but a lot of them a dreadfully boring. Took forever to read because I kept falling asleep.” 

Crowley winks, “Our little secret.” 

“Everything is our little secret.” 

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, my little Sprout.” 

“Not so little anymore.” 

“You’ll always be little in my eyes.” 

Alexandra straightens up with a clearing of her throat as Aziraphale come back with two tartan tins full of biscuits. She shakes her head fondly, “I’ll have to come back for more when we run out.” 

Aziraphale beams, “Will you?” 

She nods with a soft smile, “Already putting it on the calendar.” 

The Doctor looks up from where he had been looking at a little patch of Forget-Me-Nots that were growing right in front of the house, or more accurately at the little sign that read ‘Alexandra’s flowers. DO NOT TOUCH!’ when the front door creaks open, and Alexandra steps out with not a bruise to be seen, hair dry, and dressed in a clean pair of clothes with a duffle bag flung over her shoulder. 

Alexandra had decided on a black bodysuit with embroidered roses on it under a long black cardigan that stopped at the back of her knees. The sleeves of which were pushed up to her elbows to reveal a tattoo of a snake biting it’s tail that wrapped around her right wrist while her other was covered by a blue Versace watch. Se had on black velvet pants as well as a black belt that had a buckle to match the tattoo. The Doctor wasn’t surprised to see the black snakeskin combat boots as he had quickly caught on the subtle snake theme. Although, he had to commend her for her use of a pair of astronaut earrings and North Star necklace to add another theme to her outfit. 

The Doctor only became aware if the fact that he had been staring at her for a while when a hiss came from behind her to reveal a redhead, who had to be her father. The pale blond had to be her other father as he’d recognize those blue eyes anywhere as they had stared at him several times over the past few hours. He cleared his throat, “You clean up well.” 

Alexandra snorts, “I tend to look a bit better when I haven’t clung to iceberg or been hit by a tsunami. Thanks for noticing though. “ She does a little twirl in place causing her cardigan to fly out around her. When she faces him again she points at the red head behind her, “This is Dad number one. “ Her finger moves to the place blonde, “This is Dad number two.” 

The Doctor can’t help the smile at her antics as he goes to shake both their hands, “I’ve heard a lot about you two. Very fond she is.” 

Aziraphale beams, “All good things, I hope?” 

“Or all bad,” Crowley amends. 

The Doctor looks to the girl beside him for a hint on who to take more seriously when she just shakes her head before moving towards the Tardis, “All good. Even you Dad. Papa isn’t the only good one even if you won’t admit it.” 

She snaps her fingers causing the door to open, much to the Doctor’s surprise, and sets her duffle bag down. The console catches here eye before she can head back out, and she saunters slowly to gaze as all the different controls. She doesn’t touch them; however, as she had no intentions of accidentally ripping the universe apart or something. 

Outside, Crowley shakes his head, “Impatient little thing. Keep an eye on her will you?” 

The Doctor nods with a smile as he remembers that it was her idea to head to the mail room of the Titanic despite the fact that seconds later it would begin filling with ice cold water. This idea led to a mad scramble to get back to the upper levels of the ship before the water tight doors shut. Not that those doors did any good in the long run. The Titanic still sank. “I will.” 

That seems to be enough for the redhead as he saunters over to the Tardis demanding a hug before his daughter left to go on adventures throughout the universe. Aziraphale looks nervously at where his husband and daughter where hugging to the Doctor. “Doctor?... That is your name right?” 

The Doctor turns to him with a beaming smile, “Yup! That’s me.” 

Aziraphale glances at his daughter again, “You care for her don’t you? More than you let on.” 

The Doctor frowns before glancing at the her in question, ”Yeah. I do. Why?” 

Aziraphale sighs, “Just… Watch out for her. Something happened years ago. She won’t tell us what it was, but she’s been afraid of herself ever since. She’s never been the same. She used to always go and explore the world even if it was just the woods in the backyard. Now…now she was content to sit inside and read books or watch plants for hours on hours. That… curiosity she used to have is coming back, and I don’t want to see it be crushed. She might even tell you what happened, but not even Crowley, who she is arguably more attached to, has never been able to get it out of her. Just…watch out for her. Please.” 

The Doctor stared at the blond for a while as he tried to take up any memories that might suggest emotional turmoil, but he was coming up short. She had seemed perfectly happy, but maybe she was just too skilled by now at hiding what she was really feeling. Putting on this happy go lucky face to spare other people from her troubles. He knew this routine too well. It was one he did often enough himself. Finally, the Doctor gives Aziraphale a slow nod, “I’ll keep an eye on her. Promise.” 

Aziraphale nods silently, but that glint of worry was still in his blue eyes, but it was hidden away as Alexandra and Crowley made their way back over to the two of them. Alexandra engulfs Aziraphale in a tight hug as she states, “I'll be careful. Don’t worry. I’ll call. I’ll visit.” She pulls away with a big smile, “And I have that list of books you’re looking for, so if we stop somewhere in the past and I get the chance see if I can find them. Might even get Dad some exotic plants that he can shout at. Alright?” 

Aziraphale seems to perk up at the thought of finally getting his hands on some of the books that were particularly hard to find nowadays. He presses a kiss to his daughter’s forehead, “I look forward to it.” 

Alexandra beams, “So do I!” She hugs them both again, before pulling away with a frown before looking around at the woods, “You’ll tell the others that I went travelling, yes? Wouldn’t want them to worry either.” 

Aziraphale smiles softly, “We will tell them.” 

Alexandra nods before she begins to beam again, and bounds over to the Tardis, “Well come on then, Time boy. So much to see, so little...well time. Bye Dad! Bye Papa!” 

Crowley practically shoves the Timelord towards the box, “You’d better go. Don’t want her mad at you. Made a lamp explode just after she was born because it was disturbing her sleep.” 

The Doctor chuckles at that before holding up his hands to placate the impatient woman in the doorway of his Tardis, “I’m coming. I’m coming. Don’t get your tail in a twist.” 

Alexandra waves her parents one last time before shutting the door. She then sticks her head out once again to wink at her parents, “You’ll like this bit!” She closes the door again as the Tardis begins to wheeze as it dematerializes from its spot on the porch of the cottage. 

Crowley and Aziraphale looked on in awe as the box disappeared just like Alexandra had said it did. 


	2. The End of the World

The Doctor looked up nervously to Alexandra from where he was fiddling with the controls, not actually flying, just thinking. Alexandra, who finally stopped looking in awe at the roof of the console room, caught his eye with a soft smile, “What’s got those cogs working away? I can practically hear them from here.” She chose not to mention that she was, in fact, getting small snippets of thoughts about a blonde girl, but she decided that the Doctor would bring this girl up when he wanted to and not a second before. 

“How would you feel about having someone else travel with us? “ The Doctor asked. 

“Doesn’t bother me, “Alexandra replied, “It’s your ship, not mine. Anyone in particular?” 

“There is,” The Doctor answered. 

She nods with a small smile, “Well...go on then. I believe we have a passenger to pick up.” 

The Doctor beamed as the console room shook as the Doctor piloted the Tardis through the time vortex. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 **_Embankment, 2005_ **

Rose helped Mickey to his feet and they began to walk away when they heard the groaning of the Tardis. They turned around to see the blue box materializing where it had just disappeared from. The door opened and the Doctor stuck his head out, “By the way...did I mention it also travels in time?” He grinned as he stepped aside leaving the door ajar. 

Rose turned to Mickey, “Thanks.” 

Mickey looks at the blonde in confusion, “For what?” 

“Exactly, “Rose kisses Mickey on the cheek before running into the Tardis. She was especially surprised to see a woman with dark red brown hair, who appeared to be slightly older than her sitting on the jump seat. 

The woman grinned as she got off the seat to hold out a hand, “Hello! Alexandra Jane Crowley, but you can call me any variation thereof, I’m not picky. I’ll answer to just about anything.” 

Rose slowly shook her hand in disbelief, “Rose Tyler. How did you meet the Doctor?” 

Alexandra wiggles her head as she replies, “Ran into him at St. James’ Park. Although, not literally ran into him. I actually ran into the Tardis, and found him not far away.” 

“And now you’re travelling with him?” 

“Yeah.” Alexandra raised an eyebrow above her sunglasses, “Is that a problem?” She didn’t very much care if the blonde liked her presence or not. The Doctor had wanted her to travel with him, and that’s what she was going to do. 

“I suppose it’s fine,” Rose muttered. Alexandra scowled as she caught the hint that the girl didn’t want her here as well, but she wasn’t about to let that discourage her. 

Rose was, in fact, annoyed by the red head. **I turn him down, and he leaves. Then, he shows up again, and he’s brought someone older and prettier? Probably used that chest of hers to woo him. I wouldn’t do that.**

The Doctor cleared his throat as the blonde and the red head continued to have a battle of wills, “Right then, Rose, Alexandra, you tell me, where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. What’s it going to be?” 

Alexandra gestures for Rose to take the question as she had already had three trips in the Tardis. She hadn’t chosen the destinations, but it was only fair to let the blonde pick as this would be her first trip. Also, if it kept the blonde placated then she wasn’t going to complain. 

Rose thought for a moment before beaming, “Forwards.” 

“How far?” 

“100 years, " Rose replied picking a number at random. The Doctor pulls a lever and turns a knob causing the engines to lurch as the three clung to the console to remain upright. A few seconds later, the room stills. 

The Doctor gestures to the doors, “There you go. Step outside those doors, it’s the 22nd century.” 

“You’re kidding,” Rose said staring at him in shock. 

Alexandra smirks, “I can assure you he’s not.” 

“That's a bit boring, though. Do you want to go further?” The Doctor asked. 

“Absolutely,” Alexandra answered with an excited smile as Rose nodded. 

“Fine by me.” 

The Doctor starts the engines again. When they stop, he looks at the girls with a smirk, “10,000 years in the future. Step outside, it’s the year 12005, the new Roman Empire.” 

Alexandra’s eyes gleam behind her sunglasses as Rose teases, “You think you’re so impressive.” Alexandra frowned as she thought about the three trips she had taken so far. **He is impressive.**

**“** I AM so impressive, “The Doctor said defensively with a pout causing Alexandra to giggle. 

“You wish!” Rose retorted. 

“Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go.” He revs up the engine, pumping a lever feverishly with a cocky grin plastered on his face. “Hold on!” The Tardis shook as it hurtled through the time vortex before it came to a stop with a pinging noise. 

“Where are we? What’s out there?” Rose questioned. The Doctor and Alexandra shared a knowing look before he silently gestured to the doors. Rose smiles excitedly, “What’s out there?” 

The Doctor just gestures again. Rose hurries over to step outside the door. Alexandra points at the timelord, “Don’t get too cocky now. Hate to inflate that ego of yours. It’s already the size of a galaxy.” 

The Doctor smirks as he gestures one last time towards the door. Alexandra shook her head fondly before walking out of the Tardis with the Doctor right behind her. She takes in the wooden room they had found themselves in as the Doctor goes over to a panel, and uses his sonic to open the shutter covering the large window. 

The trio finds themselves looking down at planet Earth. "You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you’re going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids, “The Doctor rambles as he shakes his head with a small smile. His hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket, “But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This the year 5.5/apple/26. 5 billion years in your future, and this the day...hold on...” He looks at his watch before glancing up as the sun flares, “This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world.” 

Alexandra can’t help the small smile that finds its way on her face. It may be a sad moment in the history of the Earth, but she couldn’t help the giddiness she felt at being able to witness it. “Fantastic...” She whispers to herself. 

She is so focused on the Earth and Sun that she misses the fond look on the Doctor’s face as he watches her face in the reflection of the glass. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 _P A - Shuttles five and six no docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for 15:39, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite. _

The trio walks down a long corridor as Rose asks, “So, when it says ‘guests’ does that mean people?” 

The Doctor shrugs, “Depends what you mean by people.” 

“I mean people,” Rose frowns, “What do you mean?” 

Alexandra smiles as she gestures animatedly, “Space. Future. Aliens. He probably means aliens.” The Doctor chuckles as her hand lightly smacks into his chest as she gestures towards him leading her to look at him apologetically. 

Rose rolls her eyes at the animated woman, “What are they doing on board this spaceship? What’s it all for?” 

“It’s not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck, “The Doctor shakes his head, stopping at a door that says ‘Manchester Suite’ above it, and he starts to sonic the panel next to it, “The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn.” 

Alexandra frowns, “They’re turning the destruction of the Earth into a little theater show? Why?” 

“Fun.” 

She throws her hands out in disbelief, “FUN? It’s sad. It’s not meant to be fun.” 

The doors whoosh open as the Doctor giver her an amused smile, “Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is: the rich.” 

Alexandra groans, “Oh, great. The capitalists are coming to make a show of the Earth dying.” 

The Manchester Suite was a large observation room with three windows that were side by side, and went across the ceiling down to the floor. Alexandra was drawn towards the windows once again as she continued to watch the Earth and blazing sun. 

“But hold on, “Rose frowns from beside the Doctor, “They did this once on _News-round Extra_ , the sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years.” 

“Millions,” The Doctor and Alexandra correct in tandem. She raises a hand to her temple as a headache begins to build behind her right eye. 

“But the planet’s now property of the National Trust, they’ve been keeping it preserved,” The Doctor continues folding his arms. 

Alexandra pushes her sunglasses up to pinch the bridge of her nose before letting them fall back down as the Doctor points out the window, “See down there?” She leans forward with her hands on her knees as she tries to will her pupil slits to try and focus on something other than the large red dot that was the sun and the blues and greens of the planet in front of her. She manages to get glimpses of little lights orbiting the Earth. “Satellites?” Alexandra guesses, turning to face the Doctor as her eyes throbbed. 

The Doctor nods, “Gravity satellites. That’s holding back the sun.” 

Rose peers out the window at the Earth, “The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things.” 

Alexandra points at Rose approvingly, “Good point. What happened to our friendly neighborhood tectonic plates?” Rose preened under the red heads praise. She had to admit that the woman was slowly growing on her as she seemed to just want to learn. She didn’t seem out for competition. 

“They did and the trust shifted them back, “The Doctor explained, “That’s a classic Earth! But now the money’s run out, nature takes over!” 

**Always comes down to money, doesn’t it?** Alexandra thought bitterly as she turned back to the planet outside the windows. 

“How long has it got?” Rose asked a lot less cheerfully than she had been before. 

The Doctor glances at his watch, “About half an hour and the planet gets roasted.” He grins widely as Alexandra looks on sadly as she gets the feeling that this wasn’t something they were here to stop. 

“Is that why we’re here?” Rose asks. “I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?” She smiles up at the Doctor. 

“I’m not saving it, time’s up.” 

Rose’s smile falls before frowning down at the Earth, “But what about the people?” 

Alexandra turns around quickly at that, “Tell me we aren’t about that watch billions of people burn!” 

The Doctor’s mood quickly dims at the thought as he shakes his head, “It’s empty! They’re all gone! All left.” 

“Just me and Alexandra, “Rose says. 

Alexandra smirks, “Ah, but you’re the only human.” 

Rose’s eyes widen at that, “Are you an alien too?” 

She shakes her head as she ponders the thought, “No. Not that I wouldn’t be open to the idea though. I’m more like a supernatural creature that just looks human shaped.” 

Rose just blinks at the redhead causing the woman to snort as she turned back to the windows. The blonde turns her wide eyes on the Doctor in a silent question as he slowly nods his head with a wide grin. 

“Who the hell are you?” A voice suddenly asks causing the three of them to startle slightly. They turn to see a blue-skinned man (a Crespallian) with cat like yellow eyes and a light blue gem in the middle of his forehead. 

Alexandra slides her sunglasses up to reveal her blue and yellow serpentine eyes as a scowl finds its way onto her face, “Who the fu-” her mouth is quickly covered by the Doctor’s hand, who finds the annoyed glare turned on him. ‘ 

“Don’t get worked up, Stardust.” The Doctor whispers in her ear with an amused smile. Alexandra tries to ignore the shiver that causes pain to radiate from her shoulder blades. The Doctor takes his hand off of her mouth turning to the alien. “That’s nice, thanks, “ He grins sarcastically. 

“But how did you get in?” The alien eyes the three of us nervously, “This is a maximum hospitality zone! The guests have disembarked! They’re one their way any second now!” The alien looks seconds away from panic attack at this rate. 

“That’s me, I’m a guest, look! I’ve got an invitation!” The Doctor pulls out a small thin leather wallet and shows it to the alien, “Look, there you see? It’s fine, see? The Doctor, plus two; I’m the doctor and this is Alexandra J. Crowley and Rose Tyler,” he points to us as he says our names. “They’re my plus two, that alright?” 

The alien’s eyes widen as he stares at the wallet, “Well... obviously,” he sputters and Alexandra tries to get a glance at the ‘ticket’ inside it, but it just looked like a blank white card to her. “Apologies, et cetera... if you’re on board, we’d better start; enjoy.” The alien smiled and the Doctor nods at he walked away. 

“The Paper’s slightly psychic, “The Doctor waves it in the girls’ faces before slipping it in his pocket. “Shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time,” he explains. 

Alexandra scoffs, “I don’t know if you noticed, Time boy, but that little piece of paper was blank.” 

The Doctor looks at the redhead in awe causing her to frown, “What?” 

He smiles softly, “You’re fantastic, you really are. Stone cold brilliant.” 

“He’s blue,” Rose points out faintly, staring at said alien. 

“Yeah,” the Doctor confirms, smiling down at her. 

“Ok…” Rose mutters, going with it. Alexandra gives her two thumbs up for encouragement. 

The sound of feedback bounced around the room drawing the trio’s attention to the podium where the blue alien was now standing. “We have in attendance; the Doctor, Alexandra J. Crowley, and Rose Tyler,” he announces with a smile, waving at us. The Doctor grins widely, waving back while Alexandra simply replaces her sunglasses over her eyes, and Rose smiles. “Thank you! All staff to their positions,” he claps and a bunch of smaller blue peoples start to hurry around the room. “Hurry now! Thank you, as quick as we can! Come along, come along! And now, might I introduce the next honored guests; representing the forest of Cheem, we have Trees. Namely, Jabe, Lute, and Coffa,” the alien introduced and a tree-woman in a gold and red gown comes in flanked by two tree-men in black. Alexandra wiggles excitedly at the sight of the tree people. She had inherited her Dad’s gardening skills, but she didn’t yell nearly as often. Although, one or two of the more unruly plants have been unfortunate enough to catch her on a bad day. 

“There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace; if you can keep the room circulating, thank you...next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, the Moxx of Balhoon,” another blue alien comes in, but is a different species from the others, and is sitting on a hoverchair. This one doesn’t seem to peak Alexandra’s interest as she just shrugs, and Rose looks on in shock as more aliens are introduced. 

“And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme,” several cloaked figures enter causing the Doctor to chuckle, “The inventors of hyp-slip travel systems: the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank You!” Aliens that look like lizards with fur coats on enter. “Cal ‘Spark Plug’,” two robots with cloaks and huge hoods enter. “Mr. And Mrs. Pakoo. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light,” aliens with large heads and ears enter. 

The trio’s attention is drawn away from more aliens entering by the approach of the tree people. “The Gift of Peace,” Jabe smiles, taking a sprout from a tray that her companions were holding. “I bring you a cutting of my grandfather,” she hands the plant to the Doctor. 

Alexandra leans in to look closer at the sprout, “He must have been handsome. As this little guy looks lovely.” Jabe sends her a thankful smile. 

The Doctor hands the sprout to Alexandra, who gently pokes the leaves as he grins, “Thank you. Yes, gifts...um...” he clears his throat as he pats down his jacket. Alexandra elbows him lightly in the side causing him to look at her as she softly blows on the sprout in her hands. He nods, “I give you in return: air from my lungs,” he leans down and blows gently onto Jabe’s face, who closes her eyes. 

Alexandra snorts softly when Jabe eyes the Doctor, “How...intimate," she murmurs breathlessly. 

“There’s more where that came from,” the Doctor smirks causing the redhead to shake her head with a roll of her eyes. She tries to ignore the pull in her chest at the harmless flirting. 

“I bet there is...” Jabe smirks, eyeing the Doctor once again before walking off. 

"Really?" Alexandra asks as the tree people walk away. "'Air from my lungs'?" the redhead mimics his northern accent perfectly. 

"Oi," the Doctor pouts at her. "You come up with a gift then."

She smirks as she points to the sprout in her hands, "I did, remember? And anyway I think I leave the gift giving to you, Don Juan."

The Doctor rolls his eyes at the comparison, but one edge of his mouth inches up slightly.

“Sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe, “the blue alien’s voice catches Alexandra’s attention as a huge cylindrical tank is rolled in. Inside the tank, is an equally large head. Only a head. 

Her attention is drawn back in front of her at the sound of the Doctor’s voice. “The Moxx of Balhoon,” the Doctor greets with a wide grin as the other blue alien in the hoverchair approaches the trio. 

“My felicitations on this historical happenstance, “Moxx greets back in a squeaky voice that has Alexandra wincing. “I give you the gift of bodily saliva,” Moxx hocks spit into Rose’s eye causing Alexandra to snort loudly at the blonde's misfortune. 

“Thank you very much," The Doctor chokes out around his own laughter before Moxx glides off. 

Rose glares at both of them after she wipes the spit from her eye. Alexandra can only give an apologetic shrug before the next guest comes up to them. 

“Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme!” The Doctor beams. “I bring you air from my lungs,” he breathes heavily on them causing Alexandra to breathe in deeply to hold in her laughter. 

“A gift of peace in all good faith,” the Adherent in front of the group holds out a large metal hand to give the Doctor a metal ball that he takes, tosses in the air, then hands over to Rose. 

“And last but not least, our very special guest, “the blue alien gets the entire room’s attention. “Ladies and Gentlemen, Trees, and multiforms. Consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the Last Human.” 

Rose perks up a little in interest at seeing what future humans look like. However, her enthusiasm quickly fades as what appears to be a sheet of skin is wheeled in. It reminded her of Alexandra actually. Not that the redhead was that thin, in fact, the woman had a decent amount of meat on her bones. Although, that appeared large thighs, wide hips, and big breasts. The sheet of skin and Alexandra looked alike more due to the fact that certain parts of her skin seemed translucent, allowing veins to be seen. Rose glanced at the redhead, and was surprised to find that the woman, who had taken so well to the other aliens, had gone as pale as the hospital whites the two men flanking the sheet of skin were wearing. 

“The Lady Cassandra O’Brien Dot Delta Seventeen, “the alien introduces. 

“Oh, now, don’t stare,” Cassandra smiles. “I know, I know it’s shocking, isn’t it? I’ve had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference! Look how thin I am!” Alexandra grips tightly onto the back of the Doctor’s leather jacket as she clenches her jaw shut in order to keep the bile that was making its way up her throat down. “Thin and dainty! I don’t look a day over two thousand! Moisturize me, moisturize me," Cassandra orders causing one of the two men to use his spray canister to spray some sort of moisturizer on her. “Truly, I am the Last Human,” she smirks. 

“Are you alright?” The Doctor whispers to Alexandra feeling her grip shift to grab both his jacket and the jumper underneath. 

Alexandra lets out a shaky breath as she turns to him, “I... I think I’m gonna be sick.” 

A cold hand is placed on the back of her neck causing her to sigh as her stomach stops churning a little. His thumb gently rubs the side of her neck as she leans into his side. 

Rose was oblivious to the moment the other two were having. She walked slowly over to Cassandra with the same sick expression as Alexandra. 

“My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert,” Cassandra continues. “They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in the soil. I have come to honor them and...” she sniffs loudly causing Alexandra to raise an eyebrow above her sunglasses as it sounded completely fake. “Oh, no tears,” one of the men wipe her eyes with a tissue. “No tears... I’m sorry, but behold! I bring gifts! From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg,” she announces as a littles staff person shows off the fossilized egg. “Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils...Or was that my third husband?” she jokes causing the Doctor to laugh as Alexandra rolls her eyes. “Who knows? Oh, don’t laugh! I’ll get laughter lines!” she laughs mumbling ‘have mercy’ under her breath. “And here, another rarity,” she smiles when two more staff people roll in a jukebox, which does make Alexandra perk up at the thought of getting to listen to music. “According to the archives, this was called an iPod; it stores classical music from humanity’s greatest composers. Play on!” 

A staff person presses play on the jukebox causing the record to fall into place, and _Tainted Love_ by Soft Cell begins to play. Alexandra cackles as the doctor begins to bop his head along with the song. She quickly joins him in the little bop. 

“Refreshments will now be served. Earth death in thirty minutes, “The blue alien announces. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra stopped her bopping as she noticed Rose looking around the room with wide overwhelmed eyes. “Rose!” She called as the blonde bolts out of the room. The Doctor follows after the redhead, who darted off in search of Rose. 

Both are stopped by Jabe calling, “Doctor.” 

They turn to see Jabe with a device in her hands as a light flashed at both of them. Alexandra quickly shakes it off, mumbling ‘Rose’ under her breath as she continues out of the room. 

Across the room, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme are offering the Steward a silver egg, “A gift of peace in all good faith.” 

The Steward waves them off, “No, you’re very kind, but I’m just the Steward.” 

The Adherents hold out the egg persistently, “A gift of peace in all good faith.” 

The Steward takes the egg, “Oh, yes. Thank you. Of course.” 

Back on the other side of the room, Jabe is shaking the device in her hands. “Identify species.” The device didn’t want to work for her as it showed the scanned body of the Doctor. 

She shakes it again, “Now stop it. Identify his race. Where’s he from?” 

She gasps at the response, “Impossible... what about the woman? Who is she?” The device changed to the scanned body of Alexandra. When the response came back that she was from Earth, Jabe shook her head. “No, that can’t be right. Her breath had something more to it. Show me her DNA.” 

The device showed Alexandra’s DNA. It looked like a human's DNA, which wasn't surprising because like her parents it would mirror a human due to their corporations being human. However, her DNA seemed to glow a mixture of red and blue, and seemed to be in the process of changing, but slowly. As if it would take a while for the change to be complete. 

Jabe shakes her head at the results. Whatever Alexandra was it certainly wasn’t human, and it was changing at this very moment. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

_PA- Would the owner of the blue box in private gallery fifteen please report to the steward’s office immediately. Guests are reminded that the use of all teleportation devices is strictly forbidden under Peace Treaty 5.4/cup/16. Thank you!_

Alexandra turns to the Doctor, and gestures for him to lead the way, “Okay... I have no idea where we originally parked or where the steward’s office is. You lead the way.” 

The Doctor shakes his head as he takes her hand leading her down the corridor. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After speaking with the steward, a group of staff were moving the Tardis down the corridor as Alexandra presses her palm against her right temple as pain throbs behind her eye, making her want to vomit again. She flinches as the Doctor calls down the corridor to the little staff members, “Oi, now, careful with that! Park it properly! No scratches!” 

A staff person walks up to the Doctor, squeaking at him, and hands him a card before walking off to follow the other. The Doctor looks at the card incredulously as Alexandra caught a glance of the words ‘Have a nice day’ scrawled on it. The Doctor rolls his eyes and shoves the card in his pocket before looking at Alexandra, who was looking worse for wear at this point. “Alright?” 

She gives a minute nod as she pushes herself on the wall, “Yeah. Just a migraine.” She stumbles a little bit, and grabs onto the back of the Doctor’s jacket to remain upright. 

The Doctor gently places a hand on Alexandra’s lower back to lead her forward as her head lulls in an attempt to get away from the lights. She manages to get her head upright as he asks, “How long have you been getting migraines?” 

“Since I...” she cuts herself off upon realizing where the conversation was going. 

“Since you what?” 

Alexandra pulls away from the Doctor before wrapping her arms around herself to make herself look smaller, “Doesn’t matter. Let’s just find Rose.” 

The Doctor frowned as they reached the door to the viewing room. Alexandra had been so outgoing up until he asked her what led to her migraines. Maybe this was what Aziraphale had meant when he said something happened to her. Maybe what happened had taught her that her problems were less important than everybody else's. She had been quick to focus back on Rose. 

The doors opened to reveal Rose sitting on one of the bleachers like seats, and Alexandra sat on one of the steps next to her. She looked curiously at the blonde, “You alright? I meant to keep a closer eye on you. First trip and all... might get overwhelmed.” 

“Fine,” Rose lies, folding her arms. 

Alexandra scoffs, “Fine then.” 

“What do you think, then?” The Doctor asked eagerly, sitting on the bleacher to Alexandra’s left. 

“Great! Yeah... fine,” Rose mutters, still lying. “Once you get past the slightly psychic paper...” she sighs causing the Doctor to laugh as Alexandra stares at her expectantly. “They’re just... so alien,” she admits, “The aliens are so alien,” she elaborates. “You look at ‘em... and they’re alien,” she explains. 

“Good thing I didn’t take you to the Deep South, “The Doctor jokes. 

Alexandra glares at him, “Oi! I’m from the Deep South. Not everyone can sound Northern.” 

“Where are you from?” Rose asks suddenly, looking at the Doctor. 

Alexandra quickly shakes her head despite the throbbing. She had asked that several times on the Titanic, and he had become rather... grumpy, so she had decided to let it go. He would tell her when he wanted to. 

“All over the place,” The Doctor replies nonchalantly, which didn’t surprise Alexandra at all at this point. 

“They all speak English,” Rose comments. 

Alexandra frowns, “Oh... yeah. Is English like the primary language this far in the future?” 

“You just hear English, “The Doctor leans back on his elbow, “It’s a gift of the Tardis; telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates,” he explains with a smirk. 

“It’s sentient too?” Alexandra asks with excited eyes. “That’s fantastic. Universal translator, spaceship, time machine, and a friend all wrapped in one.” 

The Doctor chuckles, “Yeah. I suppose you’re right.” 

“It’s inside my brain?” Rose cuts in with a cold voice. 

“Well, in a good way,” the Doctor shrugs. 

“Your machine gets inside our heads; it gets inside and it changes our minds, and you didn’t even ask?” Rose asks, glaring at the Doctor. 

“I don’t really mind,” Alexandra admits, “Seems rather harmless? Translating languages.” 

“I didn’t think about it like that,” the Doctor mutters. 

“No! You were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South! Who are you, then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?” 

The Doctor sits up, looking away. “I’m just the Doctor,” he mutters lowly. 

“From what planet?” Rose demands ignoring the Doctor’s tone as well as Alexandra’s frantic gestures to get her to stop. 

“Well, it’s not as if either of you will know where it is!” 

“Where are you from?” 

“What does it matter?” 

“Tell me who you are!” 

“This is who I am, right here, right now, alright? All that counts is here and now, and this is me!” The Doctor shouts, gesturing angrily at himself. 

“Yeah, and I’m here too because you brought Ellie and me here, so just tell me!” 

The Doctor gets up and walks down the steps away from both girls. Alexandra gives Rose an annoyed look as she whispers, “Good going. Make the man that can take you back mad.” 

Rose rolls her eyes, “This coming from the woman still clutching a twig.” 

_PA- Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth_ _Death_ _in twenty minutes._

Alexandra nods towards the Doctor mouthing, “Fix it.” 

Rose rolls her eyes again, but huffs as she gets up and walks down the stairs with Alexandra behind her. “Alright... as my mates Shareen and Ellie says... don’t argue with the designated driver, “Rose mutters. 

The Doctor, with his back turned to the two girls, smiles at that. 

Rose pulls out her mobile, “Can’t exactly call for a taxi, there’s no signal... we’re a bit out of range.” She holds it up as if a signal from the past was magically going to appear. “Just a bit!” 

Alexandra giggles, “Just a couple billion years out of range. No big deal.” 

“Tell you what...” The Doctor mutters, reaching to take Rose’s phone, “With a little bit of jiggery-pokery,” he takes the back off. 

Rose smiles, “Is that a technical term, ‘jiggery pokery’?” 

“Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery,” the Doctor smirks at her, “What about you?” 

“Nah, I failed hullabaloo,” She teases. 

Alexandra holds up a finger, “Ah... but I am particularly talented with whatchamacallits.” 

“Oh, the best,” the Doctor nods as he replaces the back of Rose’s phone. “There you go,” he hands her the mobile before turning to Alexandra, “Your turn.” 

He holds out his hand as Alexandra tucks the sprout closer to her in order to reach behind her to grab her much more futuristic looking phone out of her pants pocket. The Doctor’s eyes widen at the phone that wouldn’t be around for another ten years. Alexandra shrugs as he pries the back off, “Reality warping powers. Couple that with a good imagination, and boom. Phone from the future.” 

He nods slowly, “Any other special powers I should know about?” 

Alexandra thinks for a second, “I’m mildly telepathic.” She holds up her hand at his look of awe, “I don’t use it all the time. I’m not even that good. Just get bits and pieces sometimes. I wouldn’t read someone's mind without their permission.” 

He hands her the phone back, “Anything else?” 

She sighs, “I don’t even know the full extent of my powers. Those are just the two that come out to play the most. More the reality warping, but... well... humans are loud thinkers.” 

“Mum?” Rose asks quietly into her phone. 

“Oh, what is it? What’s wrong? What have I done now? Oh, this red top’s falling to bits. You should get your money back. Go on.” 

Rose smiled hearing her mum’s voice, having not realized how much she might miss it. Alexandra clapped quietly at Rose’s relief before pointing her phone at the window, taking a snapshot of the view, and sending it to her Dad since he actual had a mobile unlike her Papa. 

There must be something, you never phone in the middle of the day. What’s so funny?” Jackie asked hearing Rose laugh. 

“Nothing.” She giggled and shook her head. “You all right though?” 

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“What day is it?” 

“Wednesday, all day. You got a hangover? Oh, I tell you what. Put a quid in that Lottery syndicate. I’ll pay you back later.” 

“Yeah, um, I was just calling ‘cos I might be late home,” Rose informed. 

“Is there something wrong?” Jackie asked in slight concern. 

“No. I’m fine,” Rose looked at the Earth, “Top the world.” 

Alexandra and the Doctor laugh at her little joke that would completely fly over her mother’s head. 

When Jackie hung up, Rose looked at her phone in amazement. 

“Think that’s amazing, you want to see the bill?” The Doctor joked. 

“That was five billion years ago,” Rose whispered. “That was five billion years ago. So, she’s dead now. Five billion years later, my mum’s dead.” 

“Bundle of laughs, you are.” The Doctor laughed. 

Alexandra looked at the Doctor exasperated as the station began to shake. She stumbled backwards a little as she wasn’t known for having the best balance. She blamed the snake in her. Made limbs difficult. The Doctor grabbed her arm that wasn’t hold the little sprout to keep her upright, and hurt her head more than it already did. 

“That’s not supposed to happen.” The Doctor commented with a little grin as he let go of Alexandra when she got her bearings back. 

Alexandra’s eyebrows rose above her sunglasses in excitement, “Oh! Trouble?” 

The Doctor winks at her before running up the stairs towards the door with the two girls on his tail. 

_PA- Honored guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight turbulence, thanking you._

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

In the Manchester suite, everyone had gathered around, and were murmuring quietly to one another. The Moxx of Balhoon is talking with the Face of Boe, “This is the White Serpent scenario.” 

Rose and Alexandra stood beside the Doctor, who was using his sonic on the control panel next to the doors. “That wasn’t a gravity pocket,” The Doctor scoffs, “I know gravity pockets and they don’t feel like that.” He shakes his head when he notices Jabe approaching. “What do you think Jabe?” The Doctor asked her. “Listen to the engines. They pitched up about thirty hertz. Is that dodgy or what?” 

Alexandra shut her eyes tightly trying to hear what he was, but she hadn’t paid attention to the engines, and couldn’t distinguish if they had changed or not. 

“It’s the sound of metal. It doesn’t make any sense to me, “Jabe responded. 

“Where’s the engine room?” 

“I don’t know.” Jabe brightened up, “But the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite. I could show you and your wife?” She nodded her head towards Alexandra. 

Alexandra shook her head quickly as her cheeks turned pink, “We aren’t...we aren’t married.” 

“Oh! I thought with the...” Jabe shook her head, “Partner?” 

“No.” 

“Concubine?” 

“Still batting zero.” 

“Prostitute?” 

Alexandra was surprised when Rose stepped closer to Jabe, “Whatever it is, she must be invisible!” 

The redhead places a hand on Rose’s shoulder, “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” 

“Fine! I’m gonna go catch up with family. Quick word with Michael Jackson.” Rose sighed heading towards Cassandra. 

“Don’t start a fight,” The Doctor calls before offering an arm to both Alexandra, who still had the sprout with her, and Jabe. “I’m all yours, ladies.” 

Rose watches the trio begin to walk off, “And I want Ellie home by midnight!” 

The Doctor and Alexandra grin back at her as the make their way out of the Manchester suite. 

No one noticed the way the Face of Boe’s gaze never left the redhead the entire time she had been in the room. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Before the trio enters the maintenance corridor, several metal spider scurry out of sight. “Who’s in charge of Platform One? Is there a captain or what?” The Doctor asks as he led Jabe and Alexandra down a narrow corridor with wires and beams. Although, Alexandra was short enough that she barely had to duck her head at all. 

“There’s just the steward and the staff. All the rest is controlled by the metal man.” Jabe explains. 

“You mean the computer? But who controls that?” 

“The Corporation. They move Platform One from one artistic event to another.” 

The Doctor is silent for a moment. “But there’s no one from the corporation on board, “he comments. 

“They’re not needed. This facility is purely automatic. It’s the height of the alpha class. Nothing can go wrong.” 

The Doctor and Alexandra share a skeptical look. “Unsinkable?” the Doctor asks. 

“If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate.” 

“You’re telling me. Alexandra and I were on board another ship once. They said that was unsinkable... We ended up clinging to an iceberg, it wasn’t half cold.” 

Alexandra snorts, “That’s an understatement. My toes are still cold.” 

The Doctor stops walking, “So, what you’re saying is, if we get in trouble there’s not one to help us out?” 

“I’m afraid not,” Jabe confirms. 

The Doctor grins, “Fantastic.” 

Alexandra giggles as they begin walking again. 

“I don’t understand. In what way is THAT fantastic?” Jabe asks the two in confusion. 

The redhead points at the Doctor’s back, whispering, “It’s practically how he communicates. Always gets into trouble.” 

” So, tell me, Jabe? What’s a tree like you doing in a place like this?” The Doctor asked. 

“Respect for the Earth,” Jabe answered. 

The Doctor didn’t believe that for a second, “Oh, come on. Everyone on this platform's worth zillions.” 

Alexandra scoffed, “Really? What am I worth then? Off the top of your head.” 

The Doctor frowned at her tone. It was like she had very little opinion of herself. She had put Rose over her own pain as if her showing any sort of discomfort was a burden to others. What had happened to make her so indifferent about herself? He turned to the redhead with a small smile, “You? Priceless. Couldn’t replace you.” 

Alexandra smiled sadly as she sniffled before shaking her head, and turning to Jabe. “Really though? Why come watch the Earth burn?” 

“We respect the Earth as family,” Jabe explained. “So many species evolved from the planet. Mankind is only one. I’m another. My ancestors were transplanted from the planet down below, and I’m a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest.” 

“Excuse me, ladies,” the Doctor apologizes, starting to scan a door panel. 

“What about your ancestry, Doctor?” Jabe asked causing the Timelord and the hybrid to freeze as they both remembered his little episode from earlier. “Perhaps you could tell a story or two. Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there’s nothing else left. I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species. It refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you, I wouldn’t believe it. But it was right.” The Doctor stopped working entirely as his attention turned to Jabe. “I know where you’re from. Forgive me for intruding, but it’s remarkable that you even exist. I just wanted to say how sorry I am.” 

Alexandra eyed them both in confusion as Jabe placed a hand on the Doctor’s arm. He placed a hand over hers as he tried to fight back tears in order to not cause Alexandra any undo concern. She had decided against asking what Jabe meant as she knew it was painful for the Doctor to talk about. She’d figured that much out by the way he reacted when she and Rose had asked before. 

“And you, Miss Crowley? What are you?” Jabe took her hand off the Doctor to look at Alexandra curiously. 

Alexandra sighed, “Hybrid. Part Demon, Part Angel. Although... technically they are the from the same stock. However, definitely have demonic and angelic aspects. Despite the human shaped corporation that is.” 

“That part I know is true, but... I scanned you as well. What are you changing into though?” 

The Doctor looked up at that. 

Alexandra frowned in confusion, “What do you mean? I’m not changing.” 

“The device isn’t wrong, Alexandra.” 

“What did it say about her?” The Doctor asked, placing his sonic in his jacket. 

Jabe began to look concerned, “I thought you knew.” 

“Knew what?” Alexandra asked loudly as she began to worry about what could possibly be wrong with her. “What’s going wrong with me now? Was getting my wings hacked off not enough!” The Doctor’s eyes immediately shot to the redhead’s back as if trying to find evidence of left-over wings. 

Jabe’s eyes locked with Alexandra’s, voice cracking as she explained, “Your DNA was glowing. Blue and red, but more than that... it was changing. I don’t know what to, but it was changing.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The trio that consisted of a Timelord, a hybrid who’s DNA was changing, and a tree woman made their way into the engine room. Alexandra had taken her sunglasses off to rub both her temples in an attempt to soothe some of the throbbing that had increased with her stress. Her irises had spread as well to cover the whites of her eyes. Finding out that her DNA was changing after 23 years of remaining the same was not what she needed today. Her head hurt too much to deal with it properly. 

A cold hand was placed on her neck causing her to sigh as it chilled her warm skin. She turned her head to meet bright blue eyes that were looking at her in concern. Alexandra sighed, “I’m fine.” 

The Doctor gave her a knowing look, “No, you’re not. We’ll take a scan when we get back to the Tardis, alright?” 

She slowly nodded her head as her head throbbed again, “Alright.” 

He gave her neck a gently squeeze before moving towards the large spinning blades. “Now, let’s see. What do you think, Stardust? Seems a bit nippy?” 

Alexandra wrapped her cardigan around herself and the sprout, “Just a tad, yeah. Although, I am a snake, so I get cold easily.” 

“Fair do’s, though, that’s a great bit of air conditioning. Sort of nice and old fashioned. Bet they call it retro. Gotcha.” He grabbed a panel from the wall and ripped it off. Inside was a metal like spider which crawled out, trying to escape onto the wall. 

Alexandra hissed loudly, and shook slightly at the spider as Jabe asked, “Is that part of the retro?” 

“I don’t think so.” The Doctor took out his sonic and aimed it at the spider. “Hold on.” 

However, he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere with the sonic, so Jabe lassoes it with vines, making it fall into the Doctor’s hands. Alexandra stopped shaking. “Nice,” The Doctor complements. 

“Thank you.” Jabe retracted the vines, “We’re not supposed to show them to the public.” 

Alexandra giggles, “Don’t worry. I’m not exactly supposed to show off my eyes, hiss, or rattle at people. I can keep a secret.” 

“Rattle?” The Doctor asked curiously. 

Alexandra rolls her eyes at him, “My snake form takes after a rattlesnake. So, I rattle. Although, it’s more like the shakes in human form.” 

The Doctor shakes his head with a smile, turning his attention back to the spider, “Now. Who has been bringing their pets onboard?” 

“What does it do?” Jabe asks. 

“Sabotage.” 

_PA-Earth Death in 10 minutes._

“And the temperature’s about to rocket. Not that you’d mind at all, Stardust. Come on.” 

The trio hurries out of the engine room. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Smoke from the Steward’s office was filling the corridor and a glare is coming through a small glass panel in the door. The little staff members have gathered around, trying to get inside the room. 

“Hold on. Get back.” The Doctor uses the sonic on the panel by the door. 

_PA-Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising._

“Is that the Steward in there?” Jabe asks in concern. 

Alexandra covers her nose as the smoke dissipates, and the smell of burnt flesh reaches her nose, “Oh... I’m gonna be sick.” 

“You can smell him, “The Doctor explains to Jabe. “Hold on, there’s another sun filter programmed to descend.” 

The Doctor quickly grabs Alexandra’s hand, pulling her down the corridor. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_PA- Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending._

Rose woke up on the floor of the gallery with the sun blinding her form the window. She distantly remembered being knocked across the face by one of the Adherents of the Repeated Meme. She quickly made her way to the door, and began pounding on it. 

“Help me! Ellie! Doctor!” She cried. “Help me! Let me out! Let me out!” 

The Doctor and Alexandra reached the door with sunlight beginning to peak out. “Anyone in there?” he asks. 

“Let me out!” Rose cries frantically from the other side of the door. 

“Oh, well, it would be you, “The Doctor remarks sarcastically. He yelps loudly when Alexandra smacks him upside the head. 

“Don’t be a jackass,” She hisses, “Just open the door.” 

“Hold on! Give us two ticks!” The Doctor yells. He frantically sonics the panel by the door. 

_PA- Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising_ . 

Rose, the Doctor, and Alexandra all let out a sigh. However, the relief doesn’t last long. 

_PA- Sun filter descending._

Rose whimpers on the other side of the doors. “This is just what we need! The computer’s getting clever!” The Doctor groans. 

“Will you stop mucking about!” Rose shouts. 

“I’m not mucking about, it’s fighting back!” The Doctor retorts as he tore away the compartment under the panel to mess with the wires. Alexandra rested two gold glowing hands against the main panel in attempt to miracle the Doctor more time. 

“Open the damn door!” Rose yells. 

“Hang on!” 

The sun filter descends dangerously close to the top of Rose’s head, so she scurries down the stairs, and lays down. “The locks melted!” She shouts to the Doctor and Alexandra. 

_PA – Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending._

The Doctor jabs his sonic into the wires. 

PA- Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising. 

The trio sigh in relief again. Alexandra pats the Doctor’s shoulder, “Good job.” 

The Doctor looks up at her taking in her tired expression, “Alright?” 

She chuckles, “Probably better than Rose at this moment, but... yeah. Haven’t used my powers like that in years.” 

The Doctor nods before trying to get the door open, but he can’t. “The whole thing’s jammed. I can’t open the doors. Stay there! Don’t move!” 

“Where’re am I gonna go? Ipswich?” Rose asks sarcastically. 

Alexandra snorts before pushing the Doctor in the direction of the Manchester Suite, “Go. Get Jabe to help you. I’ll stay here, and try to get the door open.” 

He nods before running off down the corridor. Alexandra’s eyes and hands glow again as she replaces them on the panel. 

_PA- Earth Death in 5 minutes._

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra opens her eyes when the doors slowly slide open. She quickly let’s go of the panel, and darts down the stairs to tackle Rose in a hug. Rose breathes out heavily, “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.” 

Alexandra giggles, “Started out on the wrong foot, but here we are. Thick as thieves.” 

They both bust out laughing, but it quickly fades as the doors slide shut again. Rose looks at Alexandra, “Any chance you could get that open again?” 

The redhead collapses against the door, “Nope. I think I was lucky to get it the first time. Haven’t used my powers this much in a long time.” 

“Oh.” 

Alexandra pats the spot beside her, “All we can do is wait now.” 

Rose sits down, laying her head against Alexandra’s shoulder, “Hope your boyfriend gets us out soon.” 

Alexandra rolls her eyes as she pulls the sprout out of her cardigan pocket, “He is not my boyfriend. We just... understand each other. If that makes sense?” 

“How do you trust him so much? You barely know him more than I do?” 

“Because he hasn’t let me down yet.” 

Rose nods before reaching out to gently pet the sprout like she had seen the redhead do several times throughout the time they’d been here. “Why are you so attached to this plant?” 

Alexandra shrugs, “You called your mum. This makes me feel closer to home. My Dad is a spectacular gardener. Although... awful lot of shouting at the plants.” 

“How old are you?” 

“23. Born February 2, 1982. Have 2 joint honours degrees. Computer science with computer engineering, and chemistry with horticulture. Hence...” She holds up the sprout, “The obsession with plant life.” 

“You’re smarter than you let on, then?” 

Alexandra nods, “I always like getting the element of surprise on people when they underestimate my intelligence.” 

“A good match for you boyfriend then.” 

“HE’S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!” 

_PA- Heat rising. Heat rising. Heat rising._

Rose begins to sweat, and pulls away from the heat that Alexandra was already letting off. Alexandra; however, seemed to barely notice the change in temperature. 

PA- Shields malfunctioning. Shields malfunctioning. 

Rays of sunlight blast through the cracks in the window, making Rose scream while Alexandra pulled her sunglasses down to cover her eyes again. Not that it did much good with the amount of light coming through. Her hands clench tightly around the plant as memories of white holy light standing over her before agonizing pain seared through her back as her wings were torn piece by piece away from her back. Her head throbbed worse than ever as her own screams for mercy echoed through her head. 

Rose flinches as the rays hit the walls, burning holes in them. 

_PA- Earth death in nine... eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one._ _Exoglass_ _repair._ _Exoglass_ _repair._

Rose opened her eyes, which had shut tightly in anticipation of her untimely death, to see the glass being automatically repaired. Alexandra seems to unfreeze as the room darkens a little from the lack of sunlight breaking through. She is shaking as she clutches the sprout to her chest thinking of the memories as well as the image of the Earth exploding. She’d forced her eyes open against the memories, so that at least someone had seen it go. 

Rose clutches onto Alexandra’s arm, which allows for the redhead's attention to be forced away from the white light she could still see. She gets up from her seat on the floor, and before Rose could ask what she was doing, Alexandra’s fist went through the door. The redhead then proceeded to rip the door off its hinges, and walked off, leaving Rose to stare in shock at the door. 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

Alexandra entered the Manchester Suite with tear tracks down her pale cheeks. However, no new tears seems to be making their way down. Rose enters a few seconds after her, looking at the redhead nervously. Many of the guests in the room are either injured or dead; the Moxx of Balhoon was a pile of ash in his hoverchair. 

Movement catches Alexandra’s eyes as the Doctor makes his way in the room as well. His shoulders sag in relief upon seeing both girls alive and well, but he continues on towards Lute and Coffa. He places his hands in their shoulders and whispers to them, but Alexandra can hear the message loud and clear. Jabe hadn’t made it. The Doctor gently pushes the two men towards each other before coming over to Alexandra and Rose. 

“You alright?” Rose asks. 

“Yeah. I’m fine.” He bites out, “I’m full of ideas. I’m bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed; idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby.” He walks over to the ostrich egg, breaks it open causing the teleportation feed to fall out, and picks it up. “Idea number three, if you’re as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed.” He trusts a nob on the feed. 

Cassandra shimmers back into existence upon the platform, and was in the middle of gloating, “ah, you should have seen their little alien faces-“ she halts and her smile fades when she takes in where she is. “Oh…” 

“The Last Human,” The Doctor glares at the sheet of skin. 

“So…you passed my little test… bravo! This makes you eligible to join the um… The Human Club.” Cassandra tries. 

Alexandra scoffs, “If the human club means killing people to get more money, then I don’t think that’s a club I want to be apart of.” 

“People have died, Cassandra, “ The Doctor grinds out. “You murdered them.” 

“That depends on your definition of 'people'” Cassandra retorts, glaring at the Doctor and Alexandra. “And that’s enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court then, Doctor! And watch me smile, and cry, and flutter-“ 

“And creak?” the Doctor interrupts. 

“And what?” Cassandra asks in confusion. 

Alexandra smirks, “You were teleported back, but your little henchmen weren’t. You’re creaking.” 

Cassandra’s skin begins to get tighter and tighter and whiter, and her eyes become bloodshot. “What?” she shrieks, looking around frantically for her henchmen. “Ah! Ah! I’m drying out! Oh sweet heavens! Moisturize me! Moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It’s too hot!” 

“You raised the temperature, “ The Doctor reminds her coldly. 

“Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, Doctor!” Cassandra screams. 

“Help her, “Rose whispers more to Alexandra than the Doctor as she was beginning to realize that the redhead had powers she couldn’t even dream of. Alexandra; however, only shakes her head as she stares down at the sprout still safe and sound in her hands. 

“Everything has it’s time, and everything dies, “ the Doctor calmly replies. 

“I’m...too…young!” Cassandra screams before exploding sending skin all over the room. 

Alexandra and the Doctor look at her remains, emotionless, before they both stalked out of the room. 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

_PA- Shuttles_ _four and six departing._ _This unit now closing down for maintenance._

Rose and Alexandra were standing in front of the three large windows of the Manchester Suite watching bits of rock from the Earth float by. Both girls were oblivious to the Doctor watching them from the doorway. 

Rose turns around at the sound of footsteps, but Alexandra remains frozen, looking out the window. The Doctor stops beside, Alexandra, but she doesn’t look at him. 

“The End of the Earth,” Rose whispers, “It’s gone and we were too busy saving ourselves, only Ellie saw it go.” She sniffles. “All those years… all that history and only one person was even looking…it’s just-“ 

“Come with me,” the Doctor says softly, holding hands out to both girls. Alexandra quickly let’s herself be led away from the windows with Rose. 

The three of them enter the Tardis, and Alexandra bolts towards the console to run her hand along the Time rotor. She smiles softly, “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” Her smile grows when she gets a soft hum in response. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Tardis lands and the Doctor leads Alexandra and Rose outside. They look around to find that they are back in present-day London with hundreds of people rushing about. 

“You think it’ll last forever,” the Doctor says from behind Alexandra. “People and cars and concrete... but it won’t... one day, it’s all gone... even the sky.” He looks up at the blue sky of the Earth, but Alexandra has seen that look enough times on her own face to know that he wasn’t. Not really anyway. He was seeing a different sky. A beautiful burnt orange. “My planet’s gone,” he whispers. 

Alexandra looks up at him with a tiny gasp. She gently takes his hand; only for him to grip it tightly as if she was the only thing keeping him grounded on Earth, and not be sent into a whirlwind of heart wrenching memories. 

“It’s dead... it burned like the Earth... it’s just rocks and dust; before it’s time...” 

“What happened?” Rose asks hesitantly. 

“There was a war and we lost,” the Doctor answers as his grip on Alexandra’s hand gets impossibly tighter. So much tighter, in fact, that a normal human’s bones might clink together, but it doesn’t seem to faze the supernatural being in the slightest. Equally important though, is the fact that Alexandra grips his hand just as tightly. 

“A war with who?” 

The Doctor remains silent at particular question. 

“What about your people?” Rose asks softly. 

“I’m a Timelord... I’m the Last of the Timelords,” he whispers. 

Alexandra winces as her first meeting with the Doctor replays in her mind, “You said it was lonely in the Tardis. I didn’t realize...” 

“They’re all gone,” The Doctor continues, “I’m the only survivor; I’m left traveling on my own because there’s no one else...” 

“There’s me,” Rose smiles at him moving to wrap a hand around his arm. 

Alexandra nods, “Yeah! And me too. If you’ll have us that is?” 

“You’ve seen how dangerous it is,” The Doctor looks between the girls seriously, “Do you want to go home?” 

“No,” Alexandra replies quickly before scratching behind her ear with her free hand. “Well... maybe every once in a while. You know? See my parents and friends.” 

He smiles down at her, “All you have to do is ask.” 

She nods before looking at Rose, “What about you, Ro?” 

Rose shrugs, “I don’t know... I want- oh!” She beams as she sniffs the air. “Can you smell chips?” 

Alexandra takes a big breath in through both her nose and mouth before giggling, “Yeah. There’s a shop a few blocks away.” 

The Doctor looks at them in confusion before sniffing the air as well. “Yeah... yeah!” he laughs. 

“I want chips,” Rose smiles. 

“Me too,” The Doctor agrees. “Stardust?” he asks turning to the redhead. 

Alexandra shrugs with a small smile, “I don’t have to eat at all really or sleep for that matter... but... I do enjoy the habits every now and then. Why not?” 

Rose nods, “Right then. Before you get us back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay.” She pokes the Doctor in the chest. 

“No money, "he shrugs. 

“What sort of date are you?” Rose asks teasingly with narrowed eyes. “Come on, then, tightwad.” 

Alexandra shakes her head as she giggles. “I’ll pay. I can warp reality after all. I think £20 ought to cover the three of us, don’t you?” 

Rose’s eyes widen, “Generous tipper, are we?” 

The redhead shrugs, “Might as well make somebodies day.” 

Rose laughs, "Well then hurry it up! We’ve only got five billion years before the shops close!” 

Alexandra quickly begins to drag the other two along, “Better get busy then!” 


	3. The Unquiet Dead

Alexandra was really beginning to regret convincing the Doctor to let Rose help pilot the Tardis. She had been thrown between the console and the railings a few too many times to find it funny anymore. The entire room was shaking with an alarm to boot. 

“Hold that one down!” The Doctor shouts to Rose over the noise. 

“I’m holding this one down!” She retorts as she stretched to hold what she already was. 

“Well, hold them both down!” He counters flipping and pressing levers, switches, and buttons as he rushes around the console. 

Alexandra manages to get a tight enough hold on the console to reach over and hold the button down herself. The Tardis begins to shake a little less, so she ponders if the button she was holding down was a stabilizer of some sort. 

“It’s not going to work,” Rose teases. 

“Oi!” The Doctor points at her, “I promised you girls a time machine and that’s what you’re getting.” He grins, “Now, you’ve seen the future, Rose, let’s have a look at the past. Alexandra’s favorite direction when traveling in time. 1860, how does 1860 sound?” 

“What happened in 1860?” Rose asks with a giggle. 

Alexandra begins to rattle off several notable events, “Abraham Lincoln elected President, South Carolina succession from the Union, Pony Express, Florence Nightingale founds the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses, British and French capture Beijing... so much happens.” She turns to the Doctor curiously, “What exactly are you aiming for?” 

“I don’t know,” The Doctor admits causing Alexandra to roll her eyes behind her sunglasses. “Let’s find out! Hold on, here we go!” he yells, throwing down a lever. 

Rose and Alexandra smile widely, trying to maintain their tight holds on the console. The Tardis jerks violently to a stop causing the trio to go flying towards the ground. They laugh hysterically as they begin to pick themselves off the floor. 

“Blimey,” Rose says hopping up. 

“You’re telling me!” The Doctor laughs standing up and pulling Alexandra up with him. “You two alright?” He looks between the two girls. 

Alexandra nods with a giggle, “Having memories of knocked back by a tsunami, but yeah. I’m fantastic.” 

Rose smiles,” Yeah, I think so!” She looks over herself, “Nothing broken... did we make it? Where are we?” 

The girls join the Doctor by the monitor, which had circular symbols displayed on it. Not that either of them understood it as the Tardis refused to translate them. 

“I did it! Give the man a medal!” The Doctor exclaims happily. “Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860!” 

Alexandra pats him on the shoulder in congratulations. Rose smiles, “That’s so weird... it’s Christmas!” 

“Christmas Eve,” Alexandra corrects. 

The Doctor gestures towards the door with a smirk, “All yours.” 

“But, it’s like... think about, though,” Rose rambles. “Christmas, 1860; happens once, just once and it’s gone... it’s finished. It’ll never happen again... except for you,” she studies the Doctor as he raises an eyebrow, smiling softly. “You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago... no wonder you never stay still. No wonder Alexandra likes history so much.” 

The Doctor shrugs, grinning, “Not a bad life.” 

Alexandra sits on the edge of the console, “Better with two, or three.” 

The trio grin at each other before Alexandra slaps the Doctor’s bum as her and Rose bolt towards the door with twin shouts of, “Come on then!” 

“Oi, oi, oi!” The Doctor shouts causing the girls to skid to a halt, and turn to him. “Where do you girls think you’re going?” He raises an eyebrow, folding his arms. 

“1860!” Rose beams. 

“Christmas Eve!” Alexandra claps excitedly. 

“Go out there dressed like that, especially you, Alexandra, with your tight clothes, you’ll start a riot, Barbarellas!” The Doctor scoffs. Rose deflates while Alexandra rolls her eyes, knowing that he was going to send them to the wardrobe. She dreaded the idea of having to wear one of those stuffy dresses. “There’s a wardrobe through there. First-” 

Alexandra holds up a hand, “First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Right? Think I remember from the Titanic.” 

The Doctor looked shocked that she had memorized the path to the wardrobe considering the Tardis liked to move rooms on occasion. “How could you possibly have memorized that?” 

Alexandra raises an eyebrow, “I observe more than you think I do.” 

The Doctor shakes his head before shooing both girls off, “Hurry up!” 

The redhead points at threatening finger at him, “Oi! Don’t rush me, Time boy. I’ll just take longer if you do.” 

He holds up his hands placatingly, “Please.” 

She sighs before grabbing Rose’s elbow, “Come on, Ro. Sooner we get dressed, sooner we can enjoy Christmas Eve in 1860.” 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

Alexandra twirled looking at her blue dress in the mirror; watching as the material flared slightly to reveal her blue suede half-calf boots as she spun. She reached over to a rack to grab a dark blue cloak with floral designs embroidered on it to add a little more warmth to the outfit. Then, she snapped her finger to add a sapphire choker and earrings. In addition to jewelry, her hair now had a crown braid headband, while a majority of her curly red hair remained in its cascade down her shoulders. 

Rose, on the other hand, had chosen a black lace top with off the shoulder sleeves, a burgundy skirt, and a black cape. 

Alexandra sighed as she slipped her sunglasses on once more. She felt ridiculous in the dress, but she supposed it was because she preferred her tight revealing clothing as opposed to the formalness of the dress. **Rose pulls period garb off better than I do.** Alexandra thought bitterly as she made her way back to the console room. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rose was sitting in the jump seat watching the Doctor work under the console when Alexandra sauntered into the room. The Doctor looks up when Alexandra comes to stand beside the compartment, he was crouched in. His eyes widen as he looks her over, “Blimey...” 

“Don’t laugh, I know I look ridiculous. I don’t pull off period clothing nearly as well as Rose.” Alexandra warns. 

“You look beautiful!” The Doctor smiles as his eyes snap to hers. 

Alexandra sighs, “Thanks, but I’m really not.” 

“No, really. You look beautiful. Much better than you did hanging off the iceberg in that grey dress.” 

Alexandra cringes, “I was soaked. What do you expect?” 

The Doctor nods as if he is suddenly remembering that detail, “I noticed. Twice. There was the Tsunami too.” He chuckles, “Come on, then,” he hops up from the compartment. 

Rose frowns, “Aren’t you going to change?” 

Alexandra eyes his leather jacket and jumper before tugging on the back of his jacket. 

“I’ve changed my jumper," he retorts, pulling on it to prove his point. It was a navy-blue color, like Alexandra’s dress, instead of the burgundy one he was wearing before. 

Alexandra shake her head with a teasing smile, “You still look like a U-boat Captain though.” 

The Doctor rolls his eyes, “Come on!” He ushers the girls towards the door. 

Rose grabs both their arms, “Ah, ah, ah. You’ve both done this before.” She hurries towards the door, “This one is mine!” 

The Doctor and Alexandra share an amused look as Rose opens the doors before quickly following after her. Alexandra gasps lightly in awe as her surroundings. They were parked on an old cobblestone street with snow littering the ground. Victorian building stood erect all around them. She wiggles happily, “This might be the best one yet.” 

“Ready for this?” The Doctor asks as he steps out, shutting the door behind him. He holds out an arm for both girls. 

Rose takes his right arm excitedly, while Alexandra calmly takes his left as she continues to look at the historical buildings. The Doctor beams, “Here we go! History!” He squeezes both their arms before leading them off. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor, Alexandra, and Rose were walking down a busy street. Horse drawn carriages were going past, people rushing about, Christmas carolers were singing. Alexandra laid her head against the Doctor’s shoulder as he looked at the newspaper. She always felt at peace and content during the Christmas season, and it being Christmas Eve in the 1860s was no different. 

“I got the flight a bit wrong,” The Doctor mutters. 

Alexandra chuckles, “I’ve seen the way you drive. Can’t say I’m surprised.” 

The Doctor narrows his eyes at her, “Oi!” 

She lightly pats his arm, “Oh, don’t get all grumpy. I don’t think either of us mind that you got it wrong. I certainly don’t. History is history.” 

“It’s not 1860, it’s 1869,” He persists. 

“We don’t care!” Rose agrees, looking around in awe. 

“And it’s not Naples,” he continues. 

“Figured that out for myself, thank you,” Alexandra smirks. “Still don’t care.” 

“It’s Cardiff,” he finishes. 

Rose stops walking, wrinkling her nose, “Right.” 

Alexandra just continues to smile, “Still don’t care. Christmas is Christmas. Doesn’t matter where or when.” 

The trio freezes upon the sound of screaming in the distance. “That’s more like it!” The Doctor grins, throwing the newspaper over his shoulder, gripping Alexandra’s hand tightly before running off. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Inside the theater, there were people screaming and scrambling towards the doors. Rose pushes her way through the crowd to catch up with the Doctor and Alexandra. Both girls' eyes widen at the sight of some sort of blue ethereal being flying around as it escaped from an old woman’s mouth in the middle of the seats. “Fantastic!” The Doctor beams, watching it. 

Alexandra can’t help the smile or giddiness she gets upon realizing that their Christmas trip was about to get a lot less calm. 

The last of the blue stuff flows out of the old woman, and she slumps into her chair. Alexandra frowns as Rose runs over to the woman. She hadn’t heard the woman’s heart at all when they came in. She had already been dead. 

The Doctor runs over to the man onstage while Alexandra follows the blue being with her eyes. Rose makes her way away from the woman towards the stage as well. “Did you see where it came from?” The Doctor asks the man as something else catches Alexandra’s eyes. 

“Ah, the wags reveal themselves, do they?” The man narrows his eyes at the Doctor and Rose. “I trust you’re both satisfied!” he shouts causing the Doctor and Rose to look at each other in disbelief. 

Alexandra hisses as she sees the older man and young woman carrying the old woman out of the theater. “Leave her alone! Doctor! I’ll get them!” She shouts, hurrying after them. 

“Be careful!” The Doctor calls after her. 

She turns mid stride to him a wink, “Always, Apple tree.” 

The Doctor furrows his eyebrows in confusion at the nickname as Alexandra makes her way outside. He shook his head turning back to the man on stage, and hopped on stage himself, "Did it say anything? Could it speak? I'm the Doctor by the way."

"Doctor?" the man asked looking him up and down. "You look more like a navy."

Rose snickered as the Doctor pulled on his navy blue jumper, "What's wrong with this jumper?"

The blonde smirks, "Nothing besides the fact that you managed to match Ellie without even trying."

The Doctor's ears turn red at the teasing.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra rounds the side of a hearse to scowl at the young woman stuffing the old woman in the back, “Oi! A Doctor should probably pronounce her dead first. Also, dragging her out? Really? Little respect for the dead would be nice.” 

“Oh, it’s a tragedy, Miss. Don’t worry yourself. Me and the master will deal with it. The fact is, this poor lady’s been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary.” The young woman lies, trying to placate the irate redhead. 

The redhead in question, raises an eyebrow, “That didn’t look like ‘brain fever’ to me. Also, you’re going to take her to the infirmary... in a hearse?” 

While the redhead was distracted by the young woman, the older man sneaks up behind her and put a chemical soaked cloth over her mouth and nose. Alexandra begins to scream loudly as memories of being dragged across the cold white floors of heaven flash through her mind. She manages to get her mouth free enough to let out a piercing cry, “DOCTOR!”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor's eyes widen as he watches the blue being escape into the gas pipes of the theatre, "Gas! Its made of gas!" 

His expression turned from one of awe to one of worry as a scream of, "DOCTOR!" reached his ears, and he bolted off the stage and out of the theater. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

However, the cloth is quickly replaced over Alexandra's mouth, and she stops struggling as darkness consumes her. By the time the Doctor and Rose get out of the theater, Alexandra was loaded into the hearse. “Alexandra!” the Doctor shouted as the door was shut. They ran to follow, but they were too slow. The hearse quickly pulled away from the theater. 

The man that had been on stage prior to the blue being flying about catches up to what was left of the trio, “You’re not escaping me! What do you know about that hobgoblin, hm? Projection on glass, I suppose! Who put you up to it?” 

“Yeah, mate, not now, thanks,” The Doctor mutters as he stares in the direction the hearse went. 

“What do we do?” Rose asks worriedly. 

“We get my Stardust back,” The Doctor answers. Although, his mind does wander to trying to figure out exactly when he’d become so protective of Alexandra as well as when he had come to think of her as his. 

He grabs Rose’s hand and pulls her over to a nearby coach. “Follow that hearse,” he ordered the driver as he got in after Rose. 

“I can’t do that, sir,” The driver said apologetically. 

“Why not?” The Doctor asked angrily. Alexandra was getting further way with every second that ticked by. He wasn’t about to just lose her. 

“I’ll give you a very good reason why not,” the man from the stage said storming over to them, “Because this is my coach!” 

“Well, get in then!” The Doctor grabbed the man, pulling him inside. “Move!” he ordered the driver, who complied this time. “Come on, you’re losing them!” 

“Everything in order, Mr. Dickens?” The driver called back. 

“No! It is not!” The man shouted. 

Rose’s eyes dart towards the man, “What did he say?” She suddenly felt very guilty for being here instead of Alexandra. The redhead may not have the exact love of literature that her father did, but she knew talent when she saw it. Alexandra would have been so excited to meet Charles Dickens. 

“Let me say first. I’m not without a sense of humor....” 

“Dickens?” The Doctor asked. 

“Yes.” 

“Charles Dickens?” A smile manages to pull at the Doctor’s lips despite his brain only wanting to focus on getting Alexandra back at his side. 

“Yes.” 

“The Charles Dickens?” 

“Should I remove the gentleman and lady, sir?” the driver asks. 

“Charles Dickens? You’re brilliant, you are!” The Doctor beams excitedly at thought of Alexandra getting to tell her father that she got to meet one of his favorite authors. Granted, he was no Oscar Wilde, but her father would be in awe regardless. “Completely one hundred percent brilliant! I’ve read them all; _Great Expectations, Oliver Twist..._ And what was that other one? The one with the ghost? Alexandra would know, her father practically owns every first edition.” He frowns slightly. 

“ _A Christmas Carol?”_ Rose suggets 

“No, no, no, the one with the trains," The Doctor shakes his head. 

“ _The Signal Man?”_ Charles asks. 

_“_ That’s it!” The Doctor cheers, pointing at Charles causing Rose to giggle. “Terrifying! The best short story ever written!” 

“You want me to get rid of ‘em, sir?” The driver asks again. 

“Er, no, I think they can stay,” Charles said, enjoying the praise he was receiving. 

“Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I’m such a big fan,” the Doctor said causing Rose to shake her head as he gushed to the man. She was beginning to realize what most of Alexandra’s phone calls home must sound like when the more book loving of her fathers picked up. The redhead always got a glazed over look in her eye that would go on for thirty minutes before she actually spoke again. She did try to sound enthusiastic in her replies though, and if her father noticed, he never said so. 

“What? A big what?” Charles asked in confusion. 

“Fan! Number one fan, that’s me!” 

“How exactly are you a fan? In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?” 

“No, it means ‘Fanatic’, devoted to. Mind you, I’ve gotta say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what was that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean, it’s rubbish, that bit.” 

“I thought you said you were my fan.” 

“Ah, well, if you can’t take criticism... go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up. No, sorry, come on faster!” he orders as his mind returns to its main objective of getting Alexandra back. 

The driver urges the horse on faster. 

“Who exactly is in that hearse?” Charles asks. 

“His best friend, my sister in spirit,” Rose answered. 

“It’s my fault. She’s in my care. I promised I’d keep an eye on her, and now she’s in danger,” The Doctor explained. His hearts clenching painfully at the thought of losing Alexandra. 

“Why are we wasting time talking about dry old books?” Charles askes. “This is much more important. Driver, be swift! The chase is on!” 

“Yes, sir!” The driver called back as the horses went even faster. 

The Doctor looks delighted, “Atta boy, Charlie!” 

“Nobody calls me ‘Charlie’,” Charles denies. 

“The ladies do,” The Doctor smirks, “Alexandra certainly does.” 

“How do you know that?” he demands as he blushes. 

“I told you... I’m your number one...” 

Charles rolls his eyes, “Number on fan, yes...” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The young woman and older man both have one end of Alexandra. 

“The poor woman’s still alive, sir! What’re we going to do with her?” The young woman asks worriedly. 

They settle her down on a table that had definitely been used for dead bodies in the past. “I don’t know! I didn’t plan any of this, did I. Isn’t my fault if the dead won’t stay dead.” The older man argues. 

“Then whose fault is it, sir? Why is this happening to us?” 

They leave the room, shutting and locking Alexandra in. One of the gas lamps in the room flickers. 

A few moments later, a low groan escapes Alexandra as consciousness returns to her. She sits up slowly as her head pounds in response to the chloroform that had been used on her. She takes her sunglasses off to press the palm of her hand to the space between her eyebrows. However, Alexandra doesn’t notice the gas from the lamps fill the corpse of the man to her left. He sits up stiffly. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Charles knocks on the door again and this time the young woman opens it, “I’m sorry, sir, we’re closed.” 

“Nonsense! Since when did an undertaker keep office hours? The dead don’t die on schedule. I demand to see your master,” Charles demands. 

“He’s not in, sir.” 

The woman manages to shut the door, but Charles forces it open again, “Don’t lie to me, child!” 

“I’m awfully sorry, Mr. Dickens, but the master’s indisposed.” 

Behind the woman, a gas lamp flares up, catching the Doctor’s eye. “Having trouble with your gas?” He asks knowingly. 

“What the Shakespeare is going on?” Charles asks in confusion. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra goes to crack her neck, which was feeling stiff after being stuffed in the back of a hearse, only to freeze upon seeing the corpse sitting up behind her. The corpse begins to groan as she quickly gets off the table. She sighs, “You’ve got to be shitting me?” 

He climbs out of the coffin causing Alexandra to wince, “Okay. Not shitting me, then.” 

He takes staggering steps towards her as she runs towards the door, only to find it locked. In her panic, she forgets that she could simply miracle it open. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor forces his way into the house with Rose behind him. He presses his ear to the wall. 

“You’re not allowed inside, sir!” the young woman pleads. 

“There’s something inside the walls,” he explains. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra backs against the door as the old woman from earlier's body rises from the other coffin, and she knocks her head softly against the door with a whimper. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

” The gas pipes. Something’s living in the gas pipes.” 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

Alexandra’s grabs a vase and hurls it towards the man, but it does nothing besides shatter on impact. The man does stumble slightly though. As the two-corpses approach her, she reaches behind her to jiggle the doorknob again. Then, she turns to bang on the door with both her tiny fists, “Let me out! Help me! DOCTOR!” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The young woman, Rose, Charles, and the Doctor hear Alexandra’s cry. 

“That’s her,” he says before bolting off to rescue her with Rose and Charles close behind him. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

” DOCTOR! PLEASSSSE!” 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

The Doctor charges past the older man, who scowls at him, “This is my house!” 

Charles and Rose charge past him as well. The older man wags a finger at the young woman as she runs after them, “I told you!” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

” DOCTOR! PLEASSSSE LET ME OUT!” Alexandra continues to cry. 

She screams piercingly as the man clasps a hand over her mouth, muffling her cries that continue to make their way out of her mouth. She whimpers when the Doctor kicks the door in. 

The angry Timelord glares at the two corpses, “I think this is my dance.” He moves to grab Alexandra, who upon being released hides behind is tall stature and tightly grips the back of his leather jacket. 

“It’s a prank,” Charles stares at the two corpses. “It must be; we’re under some mesmeric influence. 

“No, we’re not, the dead are walking,” The Doctor retorts before looking behind himself at the clearly terrified redhead. “Hi,” he smiles softly. 

“Hi,” She whimpers, still clutching onto his jacket. She glances at the man from the stage before, “Who’ssss your friend?” 

“Charles Dickens.” 

The slight twinkle that her eyes get when she became excited is unmistakable, “Okay!” 

“You alright, Ellie?” Rose whispers to the pale redhead. 

Alexandra gives her a small nod, “Yeah. Jusssst a little panic.” The grip on the Doctor tightens; however, revealing that she was very much still terrified. 

“My name’s the Doctor,” he cuts in. “Who are you, then? What do you want?” 

The male corpse answers, but it sounds like multiple voices, “Failing! Open the rift, we’re dying! Trapped in this form! Cannot sustain!” 

The old woman and man’s heads tilt back and the blue gas beings escape their bodies, returning to the lamps and the corpses collapse to the floor. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor was leaning against the wall while Alexandra was having a go at the older man, Mr. Sneed. Rose was standing behind her with an amused look on her face. 

“Firsssst of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don’t think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man!” Alexandra jerks the cane towards him, which was very threatening on its own, but with her hissing and the lack of sunglasses, it made everyone in the room tense a little bit. 

“I won’t be spoken to like this!” Mr. Sneed shouts indignantly. 

Alexandra scowls, “You’ll hear everything I have to ssssay in whatever tone I ssssay them in. You sssstuck me in a room with corpssssessss that turned into zombiessss, and then you just sssswan off? Leave me to die?” She leans down, so her face is mere centimeters from his, “Come on! TALK!” 

“It’s not my fault!” he protests, shrinking down in his chair in an attempt to escape the girl's vengeful wrath. “It’s this house! It always had a reputation: haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back, and the stiffs...” he trails off when Alexandra hisses lowly in contempt. “The, um... dearly departed,” he clears his throat, “Started getting restless.” 

“Tommy-rot!” Charles scoffs. 

“You witnessed it!” Mr. Sneed retorts. “Can’t keep the beggars down, sir... they walk and it’s the queerest thing, but they hang onto scraps.” 

Alexandra was momentarily distracted by Gwyneth, the young woman, places a cup of tea on the mantlepiece for the Doctor. “Two sugars for you, sir, just how you like.” The woman then hands Alexandra a cup with coffee, “Coffee, Miss. Milk with two sugars because you prefer even numbers.” 

Alexandra’s eyes widen before she turns to the Doctor in confusion. He shrugs as she takes a small sip of the coffee. She had to smile because it was just how she liked; it was even a little cold. 

“One old fellow who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service,” Mr. Sneed explained to Charles. “Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir, just as she planned!” 

“Morbid fancy," Charles waves him off. 

“Oh, Charles, you were there,” The Doctor sighs, folding his arms. Alexandra walks over to set her coffee cup on the mantle next to his untouched tea. 

“I saw nothing but an illusion,” he insists. 

“If you’re going to deny it, don’t waste my time, just shut up,” the Doctor snaps, making Charles turn to him in shock and offense. 

Alexandra looks at him with in exasperation as she slightly shakes her head. She couldn’t wrap her head around that fact that the Doctor was snapping at important historical figures as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do. Then, again... she had been practically threatening Mr. Sneed, so she didn’t think she could really judge him that much. 

The Doctor ignores her look before looking at Sneed, “What about the gas?” 

“That’s new, sir, never seen anything like that,” Mr. Sneed answers. 

“Whatever is allowing the blue thingies to come through must be getting stronger, then,” Alexandra surmises. “What is it though?” She turns to the Doctor, who was looking at her with raised eyebrows. 

He slowly nods as he stares at her curiously, “The rift’s getting wider and something’s sneaking through.” 

“What’s the rift?” Rose asks. 

“A weak point in time and space,” Alexandra and the Doctor answer in tandem. Alexandra winces in pain as her head throbs lightly. She’s not even surprised when a cool hand presses against her neck. The Doctor frowns as his mind begins to wonder how the redhead could know what a rift was. Granted, she was a supernatural being, but prior to him saying the word it had been obvious that she had no idea what could be causing the problem. 

“A connection between this place and another; that’s the cause of ghost stories, most of the time,” the Doctor continues to explain as his hand gently squeezes Alexandra’s neck. 

“That’s how I got the house so cheap; stories going back generations,” Mr. Sneed explains. The parlor door shuts as Charles leaves, overwhelmed by the contradictions to his understanding of reality. “Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air and this feeling like a shadow passing over your soul,” he pauses as he shivers at the thought. “Mind you, truth be told, it’s been good for business; just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine,” he muses causing Alexandra to smirk. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra was slowly washing dishes when Rose looked at her curiously, “Couldn’t you just snap them clean?” 

Alexandra chuckles, “Yes, but sometimes the human was is more relaxing.” 

Rose looks thoughtful as she scrubs a dish, “If you say so. Rather boring to me.” 

Gwyneth rushes over to them with wide eyes, "Please, Misses, shouldn’t be helping; it’s not right.” 

“Don’t be daft,” Rose smiles as she continues to was a teacup. 

Alexandra winks at the young woman, “I enjoy washing dishes. Very calming. Besides, you could use the break.” 

“Yeah, Mr. Sneed works you to death,” Rose agrees. “So, Gwyneth, how much do you get paid?” 

“Eight pound a year, miss,” She answers, staring at them nervously. 

Alexandra chokes on her own saliva as Rose looks at the girl with wide eyes, “How much?” 

“I know,” Gwyneth smiles. “I would’ve been happy with six.” She laughs lightly. 

Rose turns to Alexandra, the history whiz, who whispers, “That a fair wage for this time period.” 

She nods in understanding before turning back to Gwyneth, “So, did you go to school or what?” 

“Of course, I did,” Gwyneth smiles. “What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday; nice and proper.” She brushes off her apron. 

“What, once a week?” Rose gasps while Alexandra giggles to herself. 

“We did sums and everything,” Gwyneth nods and leans in closer. “To be honest... I hated every second,” she whispers. 

Alexandra and Rose giggle, “Us too.” 

She leans in closer, “Don’t tell anyone, but one week... I didn’t go and ran on the heath all on my own.” She smiles, laughing quietly. 

Alexandra nods, “Yeah... me too.” She frowns remembering being ambushed by four archangels when she skipped with her little cousin Lillian Device-Pulsifer. She shut her eyes as echoes of Lillian’s screams echoed in her mind. 

Rose nods in agreement, oblivious to the redhead’s turmoil, “I did plenty of that. I used to go down the shops with my mate Shareen. And we used to go and look at boys!” 

Gwyneth’s eyes widen as she stops laughing, “Well...I don’t know much about that, Miss.” Her cheeks turn red. 

That perks Alexandra’s attention enough for the screams to stop as she looks at the other two in amusement. Rose persists, “Come on, times haven’t changed that much! I don’t need Ellie to tell me that. I bet you’ve done the same.” 

“I don’t think so, Miss.” 

“Gwyneth! You can tell us! Ellie is particularly good at keeping secrets. Bet you’ve got your eye on someone.” 

“I suppose...there is this one lad," She admits shyly. “The butcher’s boy... he comes by every Tuesday, such a lovely smile on him.” She smiles dreamily as she pictures the boy in her mind. 

Alexandra smiles softly, “A lovely smile is nice. Especially when there is one that is saved just for you. Although, a man’s eyes are special too. They tell you things their mouths never could.” 

Rose smirked a little as she realized that Alexandra was talking about a certain alien that they were always in the company of. The Doctor had a smile that would make itself home on his face whenever the redhead would talk. Not that said redhead noticed. She was painfully oblivious to the alien’s obvious feelings for her. Alexandra also had a habit of complementing the Doctor’s blue eyes mid spiel about plants, or space, or science, or history. She probably never even realized that she did it at all. Rose smirk got bigger as she remembered how Alexandra had smacked the Doctor’s bum before bolting towards the doors, “Good smile... nice bum.” 

Alexandra’s cheeks turn red at that as her thoughts shift from the Doctor’s eyes to a part of his body that she would never admit out loud to looking at. Gwyneth laughs, “Well, I have never heard the like!” 

“Ask him out,” Rose encourages her. “Give him a cup of tea or something; that’s a start.” 

“I swear it is the strangest thing, Misses; you’ve got all the clothes and the breeding, but you both talk like some sort of wild things,” Gwyneth smiles between the redhead and the blonde. 

Alexandra smirks as she leans against the old timey sink, “Maybe we are. Not necessarily a bad thing; it could be a good thing.” 

“You need a bit more in your life than Mr. Sneed,” Rose comments. 

“Oh, no that's not fair; he’s not that bad, old Sneed,” Gwyneth scolds softly. “He was very kind to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve.” 

“I’m sorry,” the girls say in unison. 

“Thank you, Misses, but I’ll be with them again... one day sitting with them in paradise; I shall be so blessed.” Gwyneth sighed. “They’re waiting for me... maybe your dad and Ellie’s strange dog is up there waiting for you two as well.” 

Alexandra looks at her in alarm. No one besides her parents, the Them, and the Device-Pulsifer's knew about her hellhound that had died trying to protect her. Granted, that’s not the story she told them when they asked where the big hellhound in the shape of a newfoundland had gone. 

Rose frowns, “Maybe. Um... who told you he was dead?” 

Gwyneth’s eye widens, “I don’t know. Must have been the Doctor.” 

“Gwyneth. That dog died years ago. The Doctor doesn’t even know I’ve ever owned a dog,” Alexandra told her softly with a knowing look. 

She looks between Rose and the redhead, “But you’ve both been thinking about them.” Her eyes glaze over before returning to freeze on Alexandra. “More than ever.” 

“I suppose so,” Rose mutters. “How do you know all this?” 

“Mr. Sneed says I think too much,” she waves them off, and Alexandra smiles sadly. “I’m all alone down here... I bet you’ve got dozens of servants, haven’t you, Misses?” 

Alexandra quickly shakes her head, “Not one. No servants where we are from. Haven’t been for quite a while.” 

“And you’ve both come such a long way.” 

“What makes you think so?” Rose asks curiously. 

Gwyneth's eyes glaze over again, “You’re from London, and Miss Alexandra is from West Sussex. I’ve seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half-naked, for shame.” She frowns. “And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and birds in the sky... no, they’re metal as well.” She gasps, “Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you, you’ve both flown so far... further than anyone. The things you’ve seen, Rose Tyler. The darkness...the big bad wolf.” She turns to Alexandra, “But you. You are stronger. Stronger than you think you are, so much stronger.” The redhead’s iris’ spread to cover the whites of her eyes in panic. “Alexandra Jane Sm-Crowley. You shine with wisdom beyond yourself. You’re so alone, but... not for long. That one heart with split into two. Then, two will split into four. The White Serpent.” Gwyneth stumbles back, her eyes clearing to be replaced with fear, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Misses.” She shakes her head. 

“It’s all right,” Rose assures her as Alexandra presses a hand against her chest to ensure that there was, in fact, only one. 

Alexandra shakes her head as her iris's shrink back to look more human, “Don’t apologize, Dear girl. You can’t exactly help it.” 

“Ever since I was a little girl, my mum said I had the sight; she told me to hide it,” Gwyneth explains shakily. Alexandra wraps an arm around her shoulders. 

“But it’s getting stronger,” the Doctor’s voice makes all three girls jump and their heads snap towards him. Alexandra glared at him playfully. It wasn’t often someone snuck up on her with her better hearing and sense of smell. “More powerful is that right?” 

Gwyneth nods, “All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head.” She taps her forehead frustratingly. Alexandra looks at her sadly. She understood voices in the mind. Although... hers were more screams. 

“You grew up on top of the rift; your part of it,” the Doctor folds his arms, eyeing Gwyneth and Alexandra. “You’re the key.” 

“I’ve tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts...” 

“Well, that should help; you can show us what to do, and Alexis will help you along the way,” The Doctor grins. 

Gwyneth and Alexandra frown at each other. “What to do where, sir?” Gwyneth asks. 

“We’re going to have a séance,” he rubs his hands together. 

The only sound in the room is the very loud annoyed groan that escapes Alexandra’s mouth. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

In the parlor, they set up a round table for the séance. Alexandra had put her sunglasses back on, and was rather put out at the thought of having to communicate with the dead. Although, this was probably because she knew that it was quite possible to do so. 

Gwyneth was at the head of the table, Alexandra was to her right with a scowl firmly in place, to the right of the redhead was the Doctor, who appeared far too pleased with himself. Then, there was Rose, Charles, and Mr. Sneed. Mr. Sneed had tried to sit between the Doctor and Alexandra, but at the sound of a hiss he quickly darted to the opposite side of the table. 

“This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of the Mists, down in big town,” Gwyneth explains. “Come, we must all join hands,” she orders and we all quickly follow. 

“I can’t take part in this," Charles shakes his head, standing. Alexandra makes a point of rolling her head and eyes. 

“Humbug?” the Doctor raises his eyebrow causing a small smirk to cross over the redhead's face before it fades again. “Come on, open mind,” he smiles. 

“This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask!” Charles retorts. “Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze-box concealed between the knees! This girl knows nothing,” he scoffs. 

“Now, don’t antagonize her,” the Doctor scolds. “I love a happy medium,” he grins as Alexandra shakes her head slowly in exasperation. 

Rose giggles, “I can’t believe you just said that.” 

The Doctor turns to Charles, “Come on, we might need you.” 

“Yeah... to complete the circle,” Alexandra mutters lowly causing a knee to connects with hers in warning. 

Charles sits back down between Rose and Mr. Sneed. “Good man,” The Doctor smiles before turning to Gwyneth. "Now, Gwyneth, reach out,” he orders. 

Gwyneth closes her eyes as Alexandra goes blank as if she weren’t paying attention. “Speak to us,” Gwyneth orders softly. “Are you there? Spirits come; speak to us that we may relieve your burden.” 

Faint whispering starts around the table; however, so does a soft echoing hiss as if a snake was whispering in their ears. Alexandra mouth was surprisingly closed when the Doctor looked over. 

“Can you hear that?” Rose asks quietly. 

“Nothing can happen; this is sheer folly,” Charles scoffs again. 

Alexandra face scrunches up in pain, “Hush! You make this difficult.” 

Gwyneth gasps, “I see them... I feel them.” 

The rest of the table besides Alexandra and Gwyneth watch in awe as the blue gas creatures swirl out of the lamps, floating around them as the whispers and hissing got louder. “What’s it saying?” Rose asks. 

“They can’t get through the rift. Alexandra can’t draw them in,” The Doctor translates. “Gwyneth, it’s not controlling you, you’re controlling it; now look deep, allow them through.” 

“I can’t!” She protests as both girls’ faces contort in pain. 

“You can do this, Gwyneth, I believe in you; relax and make the link,” the Doctor encourages. 

Gwyneth takes a deep breath and lowers her head as her eyes open, “Yes.” She breaths and three blue humanoid gas beings appear behind her. The middle one appears like a young girl. 

“Great God! Spirits from the other side,” Mr. Sneed exclaims. 

“The other side of the universe,” the Doctor corrects. 

The gas creatures begin to speak through Gwyneth, “Pity us! Pity the Gelth! There is so little time! Help us!” 

“What do you want us to do?” the Doctor asks as Alexandra’s thumb begins to gently rub the back of his hand. 

“The rift! Take the girl to the rift, make the bridge!” 

“What for?” 

“We are so few, the last of our kind; we face extinction.” 

“Why, what happened?” 

“Once we had a physical form, like you, but then the war came.” 

The Doctor tenses as his hand grips onto Alexandra’s tightly. Her thumb begins to rub his hand a little slower in an attempt to calm him. 

“War? What war?” Charles asks with a frown. 

“The Time War! The whole universe convulsed! The Time War raged; invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away; we’re trapped in this gaseous state.” 

“So, that’s why you need the corpses,” The Doctor realizes. 

“We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight; to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned! They’re going to waste! Give them to us!” 

“But we can’t” Rose denies apologetically. 

“Why not?” the Doctor asks as the thumb freezes on his hand. 

“It’s not- I mean, it’s not-” Rose fumbles to try and explain. 

“Not decent? Not polite?” the Doctor asks, his voice going cold as his eyes narrow. “It could save their lives.” 

The thumb restarts its soothing circles around the Timelords hand. 

“Open the rift!” The Gelth cut in. “Let the Gelth through! We’re dying! Help us! Pity the Gelth!” 

The Gelth return to the lamps, and Gwyneth slumps forward across the table as Alexandra finally relaxes her hands coming up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Rose was up in mere second to check on the passed-out woman, “Gwyneth?” 

“All true,” Charles whispers as his face pales. 

“Are you okay?” Rose tries to ask the woman. 

“It’s all true...” 

The Doctor and Alexandra look at each other silently in understanding. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor had moved Gwyneth to a settee in the lounge before he and Rose began to argue. Alexandra, who’s human corporation was more of just a container for her true self, was on the Doctor’s side. How could she fault these beings that need bodies when she herself needed a vessel to hitch a ride in. It was true that hers had been created at the same time as her true self, but that didn’t mean that it would last her entire immortal life. 

The redhead gently wiped at Gwyneth’s clammy forehead with a tartan handkerchief as she laid asleep on the settee. The girl’s eyes fluttered open, and Alexandra quickly cooed, “Shhh. It’s alright. Sleep.” 

“But my angels, Miss,” Gwyneth protests groggily, trying to sit up. “They came, didn’t they? They need me?” 

“They do need you, Gwyneth; you’re their only chance of survival,” the Doctor cuts in. 

Rose glares at him, “I’ve told you, leave her alone.” The Doctor sighs, leaning his head back against the wall. “She’s exhausted and she’s not fighting your battles.” The blonde offers Gwyneth some water, “Drink this.” 

Alexandra nods softly as she helps the girl take a small sip, “It’ll help.” 

“Well, what did you say, Doctor?” Mr. Sneed asks. “Explain it again: what are they?” 

“Aliens,” The Doctor answers tiredly, folding his arms. 

“Like foreigners, you mean?” 

“Pretty foreign, yeah; from up there,” the Doctor points upwards. 

“Brecon?” Mr. Sneed asks thinking that he just meant from the north, and a snort sounds from a redhead, who was tucking her handkerchief away. 

“Close,” the Doctor shrugs, going with it. “And they’ve been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff, but the roads blocked. Only a few can get through and even they they’re weak; they can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes.” 

“Which is why they need the girl,” Charles realizes, slurring due to the amount of alcohol in his system. 

“They’re not having her!” Rose narrows her eyes. 

Alexandra sighs laying a hand on the blonde's shoulder, “Rose, I’m literally hitching a ride in this body. It’s not what I really look like. Would you rather me float around? Gwyneth wants to help, so let her.” 

Rose looks sharply at the redhead in anger. 

“Living on the rift, she’s become part of it,” the Doctor tells her. “She can open it up, make a bridge to let them through.” 

“Incredible,” Charles sways. “Ghosts that are not ghosts, but beings from another world who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers!” 

“Good system, if Alexandra is anything to go by. It might work,” the Doctor shrugs. 

Rose stands up with a huff, marching over to him, “You can’t let them run round inside of dead people!” 

“Why not? It’s like recycling,” the Doctor retorts. Alexandra can’t help the little nod she gives at that. 

“Seriously, though, you can’t,” Rose glares at him. 

“Seriously, though, I can!” he scoffs. 

“It’s just wrong. Those bodies were living people; we should respect them even in death!” 

Alexandra rolls her eyes, “What, then? We’re just supposed to sit back and watch the few Gelth that are left die? The bodies are empty! Their souls gone to heaven, and they're never coming back. At least not in these bodies, but in shining new ones.” Her face softens, “I know it sounds bad, but it doesn’t have to be forever. The Doctor can take them somewhere that they can create their bodies, and return the bodies they are borrowing. If there is even a chance that we could save them? Why not take the risk?” 

The Doctor looks at Alexandra in awe, and something else the redhead couldn’t quite place. Then, he turns to Rose, “Do you carry a donor card?” 

“That’s different...that’s..” Rose stammers. 

“It is different, yeah; it’s a different morality,” the Doctor retorts. “Get used to it or go home,” he narrows his eyes and Rose looks away. “You heard what they said, time’s short,” he sighs, before continuing softly, “I can’t worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying.” 

Rose glares up at him, “I don’t care. They’re not using her.” 

“Don’t I get a say, Miss?” Gwyneth cuts in softly as they all turn to see her sitting up. 

“Look, you don’t understand what’s going on,” Rose tries. 

Alexandra scowls, “I think she understands quite well what is being asked of her. She’s had to deal with the voices her whole life. Imagine it? Hearing voices, or...” She gulps. “... or screams since you can remember. You’d do anything! Anything at all to make them stop. Do anything to make the knowledge that shouldn’t be in your head go away. To be normal! But it won’t ever stop! Because it’s always been there. Scratching at the subconscious, and you don’t even know why! She -” The redheads rambling is cut off by the Doctor placing a cool hand on her neck. 

Alexandra shrugs the hand off as she lets out a shaky breath, and clenches shaking hands into fists to try and bury that anger deep beneath the surface. 

“Thank you, Miss Crowley,” Gwyneth smiles at the clearly shaken redhead before turning to Rose. “You would say that Miss Rose, because that’s very clear inside you head that you think I’m stupid.” She sounded like she had accepted that fact. 

“That’s not fair,” Rose protests, but doesn’t deny it. 

“It’s true, though,” Gwyneth insists. “Things may be very different from where you and Miss Crowley are from, but here and now, I know my own mind and the angels need me,” she tells Rose firmly. “Doctor, what do I have to do?” 

The Doctor lays a gently hand on Alexandra’s back and she doesn’t buck it off this time. “You don’t have to do anything,” he sighs. 

“They’ve been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mum on a holy mission; so, tell me,” Gwyneth softly demands. 

The Doctor smiles at the woman, “We need to find the rift; this house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that’s weaker than any other,” he muses. Alexandra taps his chest before pointing down. She doesn’t say anything though, so he glances as her hand in confusion before rubbing circles into her back gently. He turns to look at the older man, “Mr. Sneed, what’s the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?” 

“That would be the morgue,” Mr. Sneed answers. 

The Doctor glances at the hand still pointing down before glancing at Alexandra’s face to find it blank. Her other hand was still clenched, so it was as if she wasn’t even aware that she had known where the weak point was. 

“No chance you were gonna say gazebo, is there?” Rose jokes. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra wrinkles her nose at the pickle-like smell of Formaldehyde as they enter the morgue. She quickly gets behind the Doctor, so that his scent that was a mix of grease, bananas, and something she couldn’t figure out yet, would overpower the pickles. She shivers before snapping softly, so that her cape appeared in her hands. 

“Ugh,” the Doctor wrinkles his nose as well. “Talk about _Bleak House_ ,” he jokes, causing Alexandra to shake her head in amusement. 

“The thing is Doctor,” Rose cuts in, rubbing her arms. “The Gelth don’t succeed, because I know they don’t; I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869.” 

Alexandra grabs the Doctor’s arm, “I’m having Déjà vu to 1963.” 

The Doctor chuckles before turning to Rose, “Time’s in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that.” He clicks his fingers. “Nothing is safe, remember that: nothing.” 

Alexandra wags her finger at him, “Ah, ah, ah! Not nothing. Fixed points can’t be changed. That was literally the point of our first three adventure together. Lesson number one for me.” 

The Doctor rolls his eyes fondly at her correction as Charles notes, “Doctor, I think the room is getting colder.” 

“Here they come,” Rose mutters. 

The lead Gelth, the one that looks like a girl, comes out of the Gaslamp and floats underneath a stone archway. “You've come to help! Praise the Doctor and the snake! Praise them!” 

Alexandra roll her eyes at the name that she was given while Rose demands, “Promise you won’t hurt her!” 

“Hurry! Please, so little time! Pity the Gelth!” They beg, ignoring Rose. Alexandra looks at the blue being nervously. She knew it couldn’t turn out well if they were going to harm Gwyneth. 

“I’ll take you somewhere else after the transfer, somewhere you can build proper bodies,” the Doctor offers. Alexandra smiles softly realizing that he had taken her attempts to ease Rose’s defiance of the plan to heart...well... hearts considering she could hear the two pounding away in his chest with her superior senses. “This isn’t a permanent solution, alright?” 

“My angels, I can help them live,” Gwyneth smiles. 

“Ok, where’s the weak point?” the Doctor asks. 

“Here, beneath the arch,” the Gelth replies. 

Rose grabs Gwyneth’s arm, stopping her, “You don’t have to do this.” 

Alexandra nods, “I know I’m all for the plan, but this is the last chance to back out.” 

“My angels, Misses,” Gwyneth says simply, cupping Rose’s face before she steps under the arch. 

“Establish the bridge! Reach out to the void! Let us through!” the Gelth pleads. 

“Yes, I can see you! I can see you! Come!” Gwyneth holds out her arms. 

“Bridgehead establishing!” 

“Come to me! Come to this word, poor lost souls!” 

“It is begun! The bridge is made!” 

Gwyneth opens her mouth and Gelth come swirling out and around the room. “Rather a lot of them, eh?” Charles mutters. 

“The bridge is open! We descend!” the blue Gelth turns to flame red and becomes demonic looking. Alexandra would know. Its voice hardens, “The Gelth will come through with force!” 

“You said that you were few in number!” Charles gapes. 

“A few billion! And all of us in need of corpses!” the lead Gelth sneers and the ones floating around the room fly into the corpses on the beds. They begin to sit up and get off the metal beds. 

“Gwyneth, stop this!” Mr. Sneed orders. “Listen to your master! This has gone far enough! Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone! I beg of you!” 

One corpse comes up behind him. “Mr. Sneed, get back!” Rose warns. 

The Doctor grabs hold of Alexandra and Rose and yanks them back. They watch in horror as the corpse grabs Mr. Sneed before snapping his neck with a sickening crack. A Gelth zooms into Mr. Sneed’s mouth. Alexandra’s hand grips the back of the Doctor’s jacket. 

“I think it’s gone a little bit wrong...” the Doctor mutters. 

Alexandra’s sunglasses move up to rest on top her head on their own as she turns to look at him with wide angry eyes. “You think so, Dumbo?” she asks lowly as her irises spread to cover the whites of her eyes. To a normal person she might look threatening, but he had long sense figured out that her eyes only did that when she was stressed out. “I thought everything was going to according to plan.” 

“I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come. March with us.” the corpse in Mr. Sneed’s body announces as his skin turns blueish and his eyes turn white. 

“No!” Charles whispers. 

“We need bodies! All of you: dead! The human race: dead!” 

“Gwyneth, stop them!” the Doctor shouts as the trio is forced back by approaching corpses. “Send them back! Now!” 

“Four more bodies, convert them! Make them vessels for the Gelth!” 

“I... I can’t! I’m sorry!” Charles apologizes as the Doctor pulls the girls into a dungeon and slams the door shut, so that they were locked in there. “It’s too much for me! I’m so...” He jumps and runs from the morgue as a Gelth swoops and screeches at him. 

“Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth,” the corpses demand, trying to grab at the trio through the bars. 

“I trusted you!” the Doctor glares at them. “I pitied you!” 

“We don’t want your pity! We want this world and all its flesh!” 

“Well... hate to tell you, but that’s not gonna happen. Over my dead body.” Alexandra hisses. 

The Doctor nods in agreement, “Not while we’re alive.” 

“Then live no more,” the Gelth retort. 

“But Ellie and I, we can’t die,” Rose looks at the Doctor for reassurance. “Tell me we can’t! We haven’t even been born yet, it’s impossible for us to die! Isn’t it?” 

“I’m sorry,” the Doctor mutters as Alexandra continues to hiss as the corpses. 

“But it’s 1869, how can we die?” 

Alexandra snaps her fingers, “Remember what he said? Time can be rewritten like that.” 

“Time isn’t a straight line,” the Doctor explains. “It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the ninteenth and it’s my fault, I brought you girls here.” He shakes his head. 

Alexandra looks at him sadly, “Hey... don’t blame yourself.” 

“It’s not your fault,” Rose agrees with the redhead. “We wanted to come.” 

“What about me?” the Doctor retorts. “I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five, I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now, I’m going to die in a dungeon... in Cardiff!” 

The redhead rolls her eyes, “Pompous git.” The Doctor glares at her out of the corner of his eye. 

“It’s not just dying, we’ll become one of them,” Rose points out. “We’ll go down fighting, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” the Doctor nods. 

“Absolutely. Wouldn’t have it any other way,” the redhead whispers softly. 

“Together?” 

The Doctor nods again, “Yeah!” He links his hands with the two girls, and if he grips Alexandra’s a little too tight, she doesn’t comment on it. 

“Oh, yes!” Alexandra breathes. 

The Doctor smiles down between the redhead on his left and the blonde on his right. “I’m so glad I met you girls.” 

Rose decided not to point out that his gaze had stopped to rest on Alexandra as she smiled back up at him. The blonde just smiles at her two oblivious friends, “Me too.” 

“Me three!” Alexandra beams. “The Three Musketeers.” 

Charles chose that moment to run back in, yelling, “Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!” 

Alexandra frowns in confusion, “What exactly are you doing?” 

“Turn it all on! Flood the place!” Charles shouts as the girl’s eyebrows raise as she comes to the same conclusion. 

“Brilliant! Gas!” the Doctor smiles. 

“Fantastic!” Alexandra exclaims. 

“What, so we choke to death instead?” Rose asks incredulously. 

“Am I correct, Doctor? Alexandra? These creatures are gaseous,” Charles looks over at the trio, working on the gas lamps with a handkerchief over his mouth and nose. 

“Fill the room with gas, it’ll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison form a wound!” The Doctor explains? 

The corpses turn their attention on Charles, slowly moving towards him. “I hope... oh, lord, I hope this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately.” He backs away from them as they get closer. 

“Plenty more!” the Doctor cheers, ripping a gas line from the wall behind Alexandra and sending more gas into the air. 

The Gelth scream and leave the corpses, causing the bodies to fall to the floor. 

“It’s working,” Charles sighs in relief. 

“Gwyneth, send them back!” the Doctor calls as the trio steps out of the dungeon. “They lied, they’re not angels.” 

“Liars?” Gwyneth whispers, slumping as her arms drop. 

The Doctor moves in front of her, “Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they’d tell you the same, they’d give you the strength; now send them back!” 

Rose coughs into her elbow, “Can’t breathe.” 

“Charles, get them out!” the Doctor orders. Alexandra looks at him in confusion as he was well aware that she didn’t need air to breathe. She didn’t need to breathe at all. It was just a habit she had picked up, so that she appeared more human that she was. However, she didn’t fight it when Charles grabbed one of her arms. 

Rose; on the other hand, shakes him off, “I’m not leaving her.” 

“They’re too strong,” Gwyneth protests weakly. 

“Remember that world you saw? Alexis and Rose’s world? All those people, none of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift,” the Doctor explains. 

“I can’t send them back," Gwyneth retorts firmly. “But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out.” Her hand goes into her apron, and she pulls out a box of matches. 

Rose rushes forward, “You can’t” 

Alexandra sighs, “Rose...” 

“Leave this place!” Gwyneth insists. 

The Doctor gently maneuvers Rose towards Alexandra, “Stardust, get out! Rose, go with her now! I won’t leave her while she’s still in danger! Now go!” 

Charles helps Alexandra drag the protesting Rose out of the room. A few seconds later, Alexandra’s head pops back in, "I expect to see you in a few minutes, Apple tree. Promise that you won’t throw your life away and leave me to figure out how to get me and Rose home?” 

“Stardust?” 

She tilts her head, encouraging him to go on. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Now, go!” He needs her to get out of the house. He couldn’t focus on anyone but her when her life was potentially in danger. 

The redhead quickly darts away. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra was quickly making her way over to Rose and Charles, who were a bit further down the street from the funeral parlor, but she knocked to the ground by both and explosion and another body colliding with hers. She groans as she looks to her left to see the Doctor laid out on the ground beside her with his arm thrown across her shoulders. She smiles softly, “There’s that feeling of Déjà vu again.” 

He looks at her in confusion. 

“Iceberg,” is the only word she whispers as she allows herself to be pulled up by the Doctor. Then, she pulls him down for a hug, which he quickly returns. “Thank you.” 

“For what?” 

“For keeping your promise.” 

“She didn’t make it,” Rose whispers as her and Charles make their way over to the pair. Alexandra looks down sadly as she releases the Doctor to rest her head on his arm. She’d known Gwyneth wasn’t going to be coming out of the parlor. She’d known as soon as the woman’s heart had stopped. 

The Doctor wraps an arm around Alexandra to pull her further into his side, “I’m sorry. She closed the rift...” 

“At such a cost... the poor child,” Chalres whispers. 

“I did try, girls... but Gwyneth was already dead,” the Doctor tells the girls softly. “She had been for at least five minutes.” His hand lifts to play with the curly strands of hair on Alexandra’s shoulder. 

“I know,” Alexandra whispers. “Her heart stopped.” 

“What do you mean?” Rose asks, her voice cracking. 

“I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch,” the Doctor explains. Alexandra nods in his shoulder. 

“But she can’t have... she spoke to us, she helped us, she saved us,” Rose denies. “How could she have done that?” 

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” Charles quotes _Hamlet._ “Even for you, Doctor. Though, I think Alexandra is opening your eyes a bit more.” The Doctor’s grip on Alexandra tightens. 

“She saved the world, a servant girl... no one will ever know,” Rose whispers. 

Alexandra shakes her head, “Not quite. We know. That’s how her memory stays alive.” 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

The Doctor, Alexandra, Rose, and Charles arrive back at the Tardis. “Right, then, Charlie boy,” the Doctor smiles, coming over to unlock the door. “I’ve just got to go into my, um... shed,” he falters causing the redhead to shake her head fondly. “Won’t be long.” 

“What are you going to do now?” Rose asks Charles, folding her arms. 

“I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste,” Charles smiles. “This is no time for me to be on my own! I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them; after all I’ve learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital!” 

“There you go, Charlie! Christmas spirit,” Alexandra beams. 

“You’ve cheered up,” the Doctor notes. 

“Exceedingly!” Charles laughs. “This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I’ve just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor, I’m inspired; I must write about them.” 

“Do you think that’s wise?” Rose raises her eyebrows. 

“I shall be subtle at first,” Charles assures her. “ _The Mystery of Edwin_ _Drood_ still lacks and ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy’s uncle; perhaps he was not of this earth,” he grins. “ _The Mystery of Edwin_ _Drood_ _and the Blue Elementals_. I can spread the word, tell the truth,” he goes on excitedly. 

“Good luck with it,” the Doctor smiles. “Nice to meet you, fantastic!” he beams, shaking Charles’ hand. 

“Bye, then, and thanks,” Rose smiles pulling Charles into a hug. 

Alexandra steps up shyly holding out a copy of _A Christmas_ _Carol_ and a quill that had been dipped in ink to the author himself. She blushes, “I hate to ask, but my father is a big reader, and well... a big fan, could you maybe?” 

Charles takes the book with a soft smile as he quickly writes a few words on the title page before handing the book back to the girl. She beams before leaning over to press a kiss to the man’s cheek, but she misses the way the Doctor seems to bristle slightly at the gesture. “Thank you, Charlie. My father will love this.” She gives him a little wave, “Goodbye.” 

“Oh... my dear, how modern,” Charles blushes, touching his cheek briefly causing the redhead to giggle. “Thank you... but I don’t understand,” he frowns between the trio. “In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?” 

“You’ll see, in the shed,” the Doctor starts to head in. 

“Upon my soul, Doctor,” Charles’ voice makes him pause. “It’s one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there’s still one mystery you still haven’t explained,” Charles eyes the Doctor carefully. “Answer me this: who are you?” 

The Doctor pauses before smiling, “Just a friend, passing through.” 

“But you have such knowledge on future times,” Charles protests. “I don’t wish to impose on you, but I must ask: my books, Doctor, do they last?” 

The Doctor glances at the book held gently in Alexandra’s small hands. “Oh, yes,” he answers with a wide grin. 

“For how long?” 

“Forever.” 

Charles tries to look pleased and modest at the same time. 

“Right, shed," the Doctor claps. “Come on, Stardust, Rose.” He opens the door for the two girls to step through. 

“In the box? All three of you?” Charles asks in bewilderment. 

“Down boy,” the Doctor scolds lightly making Alexandra giggle. “See you,” he grins. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra bolts up the ramp to press her hand to the time rotor, “Hey, girlie!” 

The Tardis hums excitedly back, and the redhead misses the Doctor fond look that had passed over his face at witnessing the interaction. 

“Doesn’t that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?” Rose asks curiously. 

The Doctor looks at Alexandra, who shakes her head showing that the girl didn’t feel like rambling on about the author she had just met, before explaining. “In a week it’ll be 1870... the year he dies. Sorry, he’ll never get to tell his story.” 

“Oh, no... he was so nice,” Rose mutters sadly as the trio looks that the monitor that showed Charles standing outside. 

“But in you time, he was already dead,” the Doctor points out. “We’ve brought him back to life, and he's more alive now than he’s ever been, old Charlie boy,” he grins making the girls laugh. “Let’s give him one last surprise,” he pulls a lever, starting the Tardis’ engines. 

The trio smile as they watch Charles’ face light up in awe as the Tardis dematerializes in front of him. 


	4. The Aliens of London

The stars outside of the time vortex greet Alexandra as her serpentine eyes blink open. She groans as she sits up in her queen-sized canopy bed that has dark blue drapes and vines grew around the black metal bedframe. She slumps back down into the dark blue silk pillows that matched the rest of the bedding, debating whether or not she could get away with a few more minutes. A few more minutes that would inevitably turn into another hour or two. However, her mind was made up when the smell of coffee drifted into her room, and she sat up again, throwing the thick blankets aside to stick her small pale feet into a pair of cow slippers. 

She walked past a mahogany desk that was adorned with several succulents growing in tiny pots, several pictures of her family, including one of the Doctor and Rose each, as well as several books on Astronomy. Next to the desk was two large bookshelves that had a large range of genres within it. Between the bookshelf and the bathroom door, which had a grey robe with stars embossed on it, was a dwarf banana tree that Alexandra had named Gwyneth. It was actually the sprout that had been given to her by Jabe, and it was very much still in its sprout stage since it hadn’t been more than a day since she had acquired it. However, it seemed to be prim and proper under her watchful eye. 

Alexandra pulled the grey robe on over her cow pajamas, and made her way to the door, grabbing her blue tortoise shell glasses (not sunglasses) off a little table that was by the dark blue wooden door. 

She shouldn’t have been surprised to have a black travel mug that read ‘Ok. But first Coffee’ full of iced coffee shoved into her hands by the Doctor as he pushed her back in the direction of her room, rambling at a billion miles an hour about how she had to get dressed for a little trip to London. Alexandra hissed lowly at him, but trudged back in the direction of the blue door. 

As she arrived back at her room, she took a long sip of coffee before setting it on the little table by the door, and heading towards the walk-in closet to pick out her clothes, and hopefully not fall back asleep attached to the wall. It had happened too many times for her not to expect it. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra was still nursing the mug of coffee when she stepped into the console room. She had traded her pajamas for a red collared bodysuit with a pair of white sailor shorts, a white leather jacket, and white doc martin boots. Under her shorts she had on a pair of black tights that had stars embossed on them. She had on her signature necklace and earrings as well as her blue watch, but she had on a pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses instead of the pair she had ‘borrowed’ from her Dad. 

The Doctor releases the brake as she walks in causing Rose to have to cling onto the console while the redhead managed to stay standing. Though, Rose suspected she was probably using her powers, so that she could drink her coffee in peace without the Tardis’ flight sloshing it around, or worse... spilling it. 

Upon landing, the trio stepped out of the Tardis and looked around. Alexandra frowned, “Where are we?” 

Rose smiles, “Powell Estate; my home.” 

Alexandra nods as she takes a long sip of her coffee before handing the now empty mug back to the Doctor, who takes it with a large sigh. 

“How long have we been gone?” Rose asks. 

The Doctor leans against the Tardis with his arms and ankles crossed after placing the mug near the door inside. “About twelve hours,” he smiles. “A few months for Stardust.” 

The Doctor and Rose laugh while Alexandra blinks tiredly with a sleepy smile. 

“Oh!” Rose beams. “Right, I won’t be gone long, I’m just gonna see my mum.” 

“What’re you going to tell her?” the Doctor asks curiously. 

“I don’t know!” Rose laughs. “We’ve been to the year five billion... and only been gone, what? Twelve hours?” she smiles, making the Doctor snort while Alexandra seems to have fallen asleep standing. 

Rose shrugs, “No, I’ll just tell her I’ve spent the night at Shareen’s. See you later!” She begins to walk off before turning around, “Oh, don’t you disappear, and make sure that Ellie stays upright.” 

The Doctor gives her a look as she runs off in the direction of the flats. He reaches out to pull Alexandra’s exhausted body towards the Tardis, so that she leans against it. That way she wouldn’t topple over. Although, he had to commend her for managing to remain upright. Alexandra lifts her head tiredly as he leans next to her. He chuckles at her exhausted face as he imagines the dark circles that are probably under those beautiful eyes of hers. “Tired, Stardust? Thought you didn’t need sleep?” 

She sighs, “I don’t, but after you’ve gotten into the habit, not having it nearly as often as you’re used to does throw you off a little. I was running four days without sleep, you know?” 

The Doctor frowns, “Why didn’t you say anything? We could have taken a sleep and eat break?” 

Alexandra shakes her head, “I got too excited. Didn’t feel exhausted until I sunk into that nice warm bed. It’s fine though.” 

He rests a hand on her shoulder as he pushes away from the Tardis, “Tell me next time?” 

She nods as she pushes off the Tardis as well, “Yeah. Course, Apple Tree.” 

He shakes his head with a small smile as he wanders about with his arms folded, “Why do you call me Apple Tree?” 

The redhead smiles softly at his back as he kicks an empty bottle across the yard, “You were under an apple tree when I met you. Why do you call me Stardust, huh? 

“Because...” he trails off as he notices a poster on a lamppost. He walks over to read it, and Alexandra frowns following after him. 

Their eyes widen in tandem at the sight of a missing poster with Rose on it. They turn to each other in shock before the Doctor grabs Alexandra’s hand and they bolt towards the flats. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rose and Jackie jump in the middle of their hug as the front door of the flat busts open, and they look to see the Doctor and Alexandra running in. Alexandra pushes the hair out of her face as the Doctor pants, “It’s not twelve hours... It’s um... twelve months; you’ve both been gone a whole year.” He smiles sheepishly, “Sorry...” 

Alexandra rolls her eyes, “I’m going to find that manual and read it myself.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rose was sitting in an armchair across from a police officer, the Doctor was leaning against the wall, and Alexandra was drinking another cup of coffee at the little table by the kitchen. The redhead’s face seemed to be set in a permanent wince as Jackie ranted to her daughter. 

“The hours I’ve sat her!” Jackie shouts, pacing around in front of Rose while the police man took notes. “Days and weeks and months all on my own! I thought you were dead! And, where were you? Traveling! What the hell does that mean? Traveling? That’s no sort of answer!” Jackie glare at Rose before turning to the police officer, “You ask her! She won’t tell me! That’s all she says: traveling!” 

“That’s what I was doing,” Rose insists. 

“When your passport’s still in the drawer?” Jackie scoffs, folding her arms. “It’s just one lie after another!” 

“I meant to phone, I really did, I just... I forgot,” Rose tries to explain. 

“What, for a year?” Jackie demands, her glare hardening. “You ‘forgot’ for a year and I am left sitting here? I just don’t believe you! Why won’t you tell me where you’ve been?” 

“Actually, it’s my fault,” the Doctor steps forward, causing Alexandra’s eyes to widen as she shakes her head quickly, warning him not to do what she thought he was about to do. However, he misses it and continues, “I sort of um, employed the girls as my companions.” 

Alexandra smacks her forehead, “Oh, God help me...that makes us sound like we’re...” she trails off when she sees the glare that Jackie sends the Doctor. 

“When you say ‘companion’, is this a sexual relationship?” the officer asks, his eyebrow raised at the three of them. 

Alexandra’s cheeks redden as she softly bangs her head on the table in an attempt to make herself pass out, so that she could escape this conversation. “No!” the Doctor and Rose exclaim in unison. 

“Then, what is it?” Jackie asks, advancing on the Doctor. Alexandra’s embarrassment quickly turns to anger as she slowly rises out of her chair at the sight. “Because you, you waltz in here all charms and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the Earth! How old are you, then? Forty? Forty-five?” She turns to sneer at the redhead, “What, you find her online, and pretend you’re Doctor, but she’s not young enough for you?” 

Alexandra hisses as the dig at herself as the Doctor exclaims, “I am a Doctor, and Alexandra has nothing to do with this, so leave her out of it.” 

“Prove it! Stitch this, mate!” Jackie glares, drawing her hand back and slapping the Doctor across the face. 

Alexandra didn’t expect the way she saw red and practically shoved the table out of the way to get in Jackie’s face. “Oi! You won’t touch him again, got it?” She spat as the older blonde backed away in fear having not expect the young woman that was shorter than her to fight back. Jackie nodded, and Alexandra sneered at her before turning to the Doctor. 

She gently removes his hand from where it was holding his cheek to see the damage that the stupid ape had caused. She winced with a hiss at the red hand print on his cheek. She runs her thumb over it lightly causing him to wince in pain before she quickly removes her hand, “You alright?” 

“Are you, Stardust?” He asks instead of answering. 

She sighs, “Later please?” She glances at the police officer that was packing up his things before turning to him, whispering, “I’ll heal your cheek when he leaves. Can't have stupid apes asking questions.” 

He looks at her with wide eyes, “4 days ago you thought they were brilliant.” 

She glances at the kitchen where Rose was trying to calm Jackie, “And they are, or they will be when I calm down.” She looks at him with a raised eyebrow, “Twelve hours?” 

He groans, “You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?” 

She smirks, “Like I said. Manual.” 

He grimaces already foreseeing that she was going to be better at flying the Tardis than him. Although, his hearts do beat a little faster at the image of the redhead dashing around the console with a bright smile on her face. Maybe her learning to fly the Tardis wouldn’t be so bad if he got to see that smile for real. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor was leaning against a short brick wall on the roof of the Powell Estates as Alexandra stood by the edge as she stuffed her phone back in the pocket of her white leather jacket, having finished explaining why her parents hadn’t seen her for essentially a year. They were understandably missing her, but had calmed when she promised to pop by at some point during the day to make up for her unexpected year long trip. 

The redhead smiled softly as she came to lean against the wall on his left, and rest her head against his shoulder. He had noticed that she preferred to have him on her left. He had also noticed that she always seemed to smell like flowers, brimstone, and a stellar nursery, but he would never admit to knowing that out loud. She glanced up at him, “Is your cheek better?” 

He smiles softly as he remembers the warmth that had entered him as she held a golden glowing hand to his face, “Yeah. Much.” 

“Good.” 

They both look to their right as Rose comes to sit on the wall, cross-legged. She sighs, “I can’t tell her. I can’t even begin... she’s never gonna forgive me. And we missed a year? Was it good?” 

“Middling," the Doctor shrugs, making Alexandra giggle as her head bounces slightly. 

Rose rolls her eyes, “You’re so useless.” 

“Well, if it’s that much trouble, are you gonna stay here now?” the Doctor asks her before smirking at the redhead on his shoulder. “Already know Stardust isn’t going anywhere,” he snorts as Alexandra blushes, burying her warm face into his arm. 

“I’m sure she won’t” Rose snorts. “But... I don’t know; I can’t do that to her again, though.” 

“Well, she’s not coming with us,” the Doctor mutters seriously. 

Rose bursts out laughing as the Doctor and Alexandra join in. 

“No chance,” Rose agrees. 

“I don’t do families,” the Doctor denies. 

Alexandra frowns as she remembers that he lost his family along with his planet. Her left hand intertwines with his, and he grips it tightly. Alexandra squeezes back reassuringly. She had no intentions of going anywhere, but with him. 

“She slapped you!” Rose laughs, leaning back on her hands. 

Alexandra scowls as the Doctor huffs, “Nine hundred years of time and space, and I’ve never been slapped by someone’s mother.” 

“Your face!” Rose snickers. 

“It hurt!” the Doctor whines, grabbing his now healed cheek with his free hand. 

“You’re so gay!” the blonde exclaimed, and he rubs his face with a pout. 

Alexandra looks up at him curiously, “When you say ‘nine hundred years’....” 

“That’s my age,” he shrugs, raising an eyebrow when Alexandra smirks. 

“You’re rather young then. Well...compared to my parents, you are. They are over six thousand.” 

Rose looks at both of them in shock, “he’s nine hundred, and your parents are six thousand, meaning you could live that long too?” 

“Yes,” they smirk, looking at her amused. 

Rose blinks, “Mum was right, that is one hell of an age gap.” She smirks as Alexandra rests her head in her free hand with a little shake. “Every conversation with you two just goes mental,” she sighs, hopping off the wall. “There’s no one else I can talk to.” 

Alexandra looks offended, “Thanks for that.” 

Rose shakes her head, “You know what I mean. We’ve seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and we can’t say a word! Aliens and spaceships and things, and we’re the only people on Earth who know they exist!” 

“I told my parents before I left what I was going to be doing, I can tell them,” Alexandra points out. 

Rose goes to reply, but is cut off by a loud horn that has Alexandra wincing. The Doctor yanks Alexandra and Rose down as a spaceship flies right over their heads. The trio watch in shock as it flies, well... crashes, with a trail of black smoke following it. The ship crashes into Big Ben, curves, and lands in the Thames. 

“Oh, that’s just not fair!” Rose mutters. 

The Doctor looks between the girls as they stand, bursting into a gleeful laugh, grabbing Alexandra’s hand before dragging her off with Rose on their tail. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

There were people everywhere in the streets; soldiers, police officers, and pedestrians trying to get a glimpse. “It’s blocked off,” the Doctor notes. 

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” Alexandra smirks with a chuckle. 

The Doctor squeezes her hand, “Sassy.” 

She hums, “Yeah. Think you can keep up, Old Man?” She snorts as he pouts. 

“We’re miles from the center,” Rose cuts in, sending Alexandra smirk that causes her cheeks to heat up. “The scene must be gridlocked; the whole of London must be closing down.” 

“I know, I can’t believe I’m here to see this! This is fantastic!” the Doctor beams. 

Alexandra snorts, “I take it you had no idea this was going to happen?” 

“Nope!” he laughs, enjoying himself. 

“Do you recognize the ship?” Rose asks. 

“Nope!” 

The blonde turns to the redhead, "Do you?” 

Alexandra shakes her head with a small smile, "No. Not getting anything.” 

“Oh, I’m so glad I’ve got you two,” she folds her arms, rolling her eyes playfully. 

“I bet you are!” the Doctor beams, making both girls snicker. “This is what I travel for, girls! To see history happening right in front of us!” 

Alexandra raises an eyebrow, “I thought you just wanted to see the stars?” 

“That too!” 

Alexandra looks at Rose with an open mouth smile, running her tongue over her teeth. The redhead shakes her head with a snort of air. 

“Well, let’s go and see it!” Rose smiles, “Neverminded the traffic, we’ve got the Tardis!” 

The Doctor shakes his head, “Better not. They’ve already got one spaceship in the middle of London; don’t want to shove another one on top.” 

“Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box,” Rose points out. “No one’s going to notice.” 

“You’d be surprised,” the Doctor retorts. “An emergency like this? There’ll be all kinds of people watching; trust me, the Tardis stays where it is.” 

Alexandra gives a firm nod, “Yes, sir. Leave the super-duper time machine where it is."

“So, history’s happening and we’re what? Just stuck here? Like... like normal people,” Rose pouts, folding her arms and wrinkling her nose. 

Alexandra smirks at her, “Welcome to my world.” 

“Yes, we are,” the Doctor smirks at the blonde. 

“We could always do what everybody else does,” Rose suggests, and the Doctor frowns at her in confusion. 

Alexandra rolls her eyes, “Watch it on Tv, Time boy.” 

The Doctor looks at her as if it was a completely new idea to him. She shakes her head with a smile before gesturing between him and Rose, “You two do that. I’m going to pop home for a visit.” She turns to the Doctor, winking at him, “You know where to find me... when you need me.” 

The Doctor and Rose blink at each other in surprise when Alexandra disappears out of thin air with the sound of crackling fire and the smell of brimstone. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra groans as she picks herself off the grassy ground outside her family cottage, “Okay, Alexandra. Got to work on the landing. Hard to do without wings.” 

She brushes herself off before clicking her fingers to get rid of the green stains on her white clothes. She walks to the door, and it gently swings open as she approaches it. The redhead makes her way through the short hallway before turning to the left to see not only her parents in the living room, but the Device-Pulsifer's, the Them, Sergeant Shadwell, and Madame Tracy as well. She smirks as she realizes they hadn’t noticed her yet. She leans against the entry way, “If I knew I was going to get a nice big gathering, I’d have come home sooner.” 

Everyone jumped at the sound of her voice, but Lillian Device-Pulsifer, who was nine years younger than the redhead bounded off the couch to hug her tightly. A hug that Alexandra happily returned, wishing she still had wings to secretly wrap around the girl. 

The redhead ended up being passed around the room for more hugs, and she made sure to give Dog a nice rub on the head. She beamed when she got to her parents. She held up a finger when her Papa went to hug her, “Hold on! I have something for you, Papa.” She pulled a copy of _A Christmas Carol_ by Charles Dickens out of her jacket, and she handed it to him with a beaming smile. “Open it!” 

Aziraphale looked at her in confusion as he gently opened the book. As he read the signature on the title page, Crowley lifted his only daughter up in a tight hug and swung her around. She giggled, “Hi, Daddy!” 

He kissed her temple as he placed her back on the ground, “Where have you been, Sprout?!” 

She holds up her hands in defense, “It was only supposed to be twelve hours, but someone, a certain alien I know, got the flight a bit wrong.” She beams suddenly, “Oh! I got an alien banana tree on one of the trips! I’ll have to show you pictures.” 

Crowley smirks as he turns to his husband, “What did she get you, Angel?” 

Aziraphale looks up with misty eyes as he hands the book to Crowley to draw his daughter in for tight hug as well. “Thank you,” he whispers. 

Alexandra giggles, “You’re welcome, Papa. Now, it not a first edition, but I did manage to get him to sign it for you.” 

Anathema gasps as she glances at the book over Crowley’s shoulder, “You met Charles Dickens?” 

Alexandra nods as she lets go of Aziraphale to look at the Witch, “Oh, yes! Also, got to solve an alien ghost mystery with him.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra had spent the last two hours telling stories and answering numerous questions from everyone while trying to also keep an eye on the TV that was showing news coverage of the alien spaceship crash. Eventually, her head was supported by the arm balancing on her left knee, and had a cup of iced coffee in the other as she was completely focused on the TV while everyone else was talking animatedly about her adventures with the Doctor and Rose. 

She didn’t notice that Lillian was looking at her back with a distraught look on her face. The young girls' eyes glanced around the room, and she sighed. “How are you’re wings, Alexandra?” Lillian asked knowingly. 

Alexandra straightened up at that, sending the girl a warning look, “They’re fine.” 

The room had quieted at her tone. 

Lillian raised an eyebrow, “You sure?” 

“Yesssss,” Alexandra hissed. 

The girl glared at the redhead, “Why don’t I tell everyone that your lying and why? You clearly won’t.” 

“You wouldn’t dare.” 

“Oh. Wouldn’t I? I think you’ve kept your little secret long enough.” 

“What do you mean? What secret?” Aziraphale asks worryingly. 

The redhead looked at Lillian, pleading her to keep quiet. “Please not now. Everybody's happy, why ruin it?” 

“Why have them be happy now when they we’re going to be sad later?” Lillian asks curiously. 

“Because they’re going to be sad later.” 

Lillian shakes her head sadly turning to Alexandra’s parents, “Never been curious as to why for 6 years she has never let us see her wings? Never asked for them to be preened?” 

Crowley’s eyes widen as he turns to his daughter, “Tell me you didn’t?” 

The redhead sighs, “I’m afraid it’s much worse than that.” 

“What could be worse than that?” 

“Show us?” Aziraphale asks quietly, he glances at her back as if he was slowly realizing what she meant. He was clutching the book to his chest. 

Alexandra shuts her eyes, “There’s nothing to show.” 

Tears run down Aziraphale’s face as his fears are confirmed, but Crowley looks confused. “What do you mean ‘there’s nothing to show’?” 

“Oh, Crowley!” Aziraphale cries. “There’s nothing to show because there’s nothing left of them.” 

Alexandra nods solemnly, “I didn’t fall. I had my wings ripped out. Piece by bloody piece.” 

Everyone besides her parents look at each other awkwardly as if they were witnessing a private moment, which they were. This was not the way Alexandra had imagined her parents finding out. 

“Who?” Crowley asked angrily. 

Alexandra scoffs, “Like you don’t know?” 

“Who?” he asks again, more gently this time. 

It was Lillian that spoke up, “The Archangels.” 

Aziraphale wept harder while Crowley hissed lowly. Lillian glances at Alexandra, who was staring blankly at the TV. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about them though?” 

Everybody but Alexandra looks at Lillian in confusion. “What do you mean?” Anathema asks her daughter. Lillian looks at Alexandra expecting her to say something, but she doesn’t. 

She sighs, “Alexandra....took care of them. Let’s just say that. I was there...I watched. After they tore her wings out, they went to come after me, but Alexandra....” Lillian trailed off before clicking her fingers softly, “And poof... they gone completely for existence. She wiped every single atom of their creation out of existence. They’re never coming back.” 

Adam spoke up from his seat to left of Alexandra, “You weren’t meant to have wings, or not the way one might expect.” 

The room stared at the redhead in shock as she turned to look at Adam in confusion. After all these years, he still had moments where he knew more than he should. It was similar to the way that Alexandra could understand the Doctor most of the time when he started to ramble on about complicated time and space phenomenon, or when she knew what the rift was without knowing it existed. Things just made sense. All the stares quickly became too much. She was relieved when “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen began to play from her phone. Alexandra bolted outside to take the call, happy to escape the stares. 

She didn’t wait for the Doctor to say hello before she whispered, “They know!” 

“Who knows what?” he asks in concern at her terrified tone. 

“Everybody knows about... my wings.” 

“Did you tell them?” 

“No... Lillian, my friend, the only witness to what happened did. She forced me to tell them.” 

“I’m sorry. Look, I’m on my way. You and me are gonna investigate the alien body they found on the ship. Just you and me.” 

“No Rose?” Alexandra asks in confusion as she calms down at the thought of an investigation. 

“No Rose. I told her to be with her mom for a few hours,” He explains. 

Alexandra smirks, “She doesn’t know you left, does she?” 

“No.” 

Alexandra giggles, “See you in a few. I’ll go say bye to everyone. Face the music.” 

“Good luck. You’ll do fantastic,” he encourages. 

“Thanks.” She hangs up and takes a deep breath before walking back into the house. 

Alexandra hold up a hand as she reenters the living room, “Can... Can we please just not talk about it? I’d really rather not have those memories dug up again.” Everyone nods slowly as the watch her in concern. She turns to Lillian, who looks guilty, as she should, but the redhead just smiles softly at her, “I’m not mad because I should have said something a long time ago. It would’ve helped, but after six years...I’d rather not talk about it because remembering hurts.” She sighs as she turns to look at everyone. “I’ll um... be going soon.” 

There are immediate exclamations of apologies for making her uncomfortable. She shakes her head quickly, “I’m not leaving because you all made me uncomfortable...The Doctor has finally decided to investigate the alien body they found on the spaceship, and he wants me to tag along.” 

She goes around the room saying goodbye to everyone. She pulls her parents into the kitchen for more privacy. Crowley hugs her tightly, not wanting to let her out of his sight. She sighs softly, “Dad. I’m okay...really. I’ve been coping for six years. I’ve gotten rather good at it.” 

He pulls away to look at her sadly, “You shouldn’t have to.” 

She nods, “I know, but the past is the past. What has happened. Happened. I learned to let it go.” 

He leans down to kiss her forehead, “Be careful, please?” 

Alexandra smiles, “Of course.” 

She turns to Aziraphale, who was still crying a little bit. She smiles sadly, “Oh, stop crying Papa. I’m fine. Really! I am! I’m happy now. Surely, you’ve seen it?” 

He nods as he pulls her into a hug. He smiles as he whispers, “You go with the Doctor. You hold on to that happiness that only he can give you. It’s how I feel with your father.” 

Alexandra freezes, “What?” 

Aziraphale smirks as he gently rubs her back where her wings would have been, “You may not have wings, but he gave you the ability to fly again. Anywhere and everywhere.” 

Alexandra pulls back with tears in her own eyes, “I guess I did find my wings again, didn’t I?” 

Crowley looks between them, confused, “What?” 

Aziraphale shakes his head in amusement, “You’ll figure it out soon enough, Dear boy.” 

Crowley shakes his head mockingly as the sound of the Tardis groaning reaches their ears. They step back into the living room to find the blue box by the French double doors that lead to the backyard. Everyone, except Alexandra and her parents stared at it in shock. Alexandra shakes her head, giving everyone one last goodbye before retreating into the Tardis, and collapses against the doors as she closes them. 

The Doctor looks at her curiously, “You alright?” 

She smiles tiredly at him, “Yeah...actually. Had realizations while I waited for you. I feel a lot better than I have in years.” 

He smiles, “Maybe all you needed was to get it off your shoulders.” 

Alexandra smirks think back to what her Papa had said, “Maybe.” She rubs her hands together excitedly, “Alien body?” 

He nods, “Yeah, but first...” He holds out a gold snake chain necklace with gold yale style key on it, “You’re very own Tardis key.” 

The redhead looks at him in shock as she takes the key from him to find that it had the word ‘Stardust’ etched into it. She smiles as she quickly puts it on, “Thank you!” 

He beams, “About time you had one. Meant to give it to you before we went to pick up Rose, but I forgot.” 

She waves him off, “Oh, it's alright.” 

He points to the console, “Alien?” 

She nods excitedly with a large smile, “Alien!” 

He pulls the handbrake, and the engines start. The Doctor rushes around Alexandra, smacks down a few buttons and turns a handle and beams at the redhead as the Tardis begins to move. 

The console begins to smoke. The Doctor looks put out as he hits it a few times with a rubber hammer. Alexandra rolls her eyes, “You know that probably doesn’t help right?” 

She is proved wrong when the console stops smoking, and the Doctor kisses the hammer, sending a smirk in Alexandra’s direction. She rolled her eyes, “Pompous Timelord.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

When the pair exited the Tardis, Alexandra was forced against a metal shelf due to a lack of space. She glares at the Timelord even though he can’t see her eyes through the sunglasses, “Couldn’t have picked a different storeroom?” 

He glares playfully at her as he stepped around her to unlock the door. She raises an amused eyebrow when he shushes his sonic after it made its signature loud buzzing sound. She pulled a small miracle to get the sonic to be quieter and he was able to unlock the door. 

However, when they stepped into the staff room they were met with several soldiers. The soldiers and the duo looked at each other in surprise before the soldier came to their senses and cocked their guns at the man and woman. The Doctor quickly stepped in front of Alexandra, who gripped the back of his jacket. Although, she wasn’t doing it out of fear, bullets would harm her corporation, but they wouldn’t kill her. Instead, she seemed to do it more out of habit than anything else. 

It was a tense moment before a scream sounded throughout the room. “Defense plan delta!” the Doctor ordered the soldiers, grabbing Alexandra’s hand to pull her out of the room. “Come on! Move! Move!” They all ran down the hall after the Doctor and Alexandra. 

When they reached the morgue, the duo found a Japanese woman cowering on the floor. “It’s alive!” she exclaimed in fear. 

“Spread out. Tell the perimeter it’s a lockdown,” the Doctor ordered the men that was behind him as Alexandra knelt down in front of the terrified woman. “Do it!” The men run off to start searching the building. 

“My god. It’s still alive,” the woman told her. 

“Shh...” Alexandra whispered softly as she pulled the tartan handkerchief out of the pocket of her shorts, “It’s okay.” She gently dabbed the handkerchief against the cut on the woman’s forehead. 

“I swear it was dead,” the woman insists. 

Alexandra softly shushes the woman again as the Doctor knelt down next to her. “Coma, shock, hibernation, anything. What does it look like?” the Doctor asks. 

The woman didn’t get a chance to answer as something clattered behind them. The Doctor gestures for another soldier to enter the room. Then, he dropped closer to the ground, so that he was crawling on his hands and knees, “It’s still here.” He looks at Alexandra, and flicks his eyes towards the woman. 

She nods getting the hint. She turns to the woman with a small smile, “I’m Alexandra. What’s your name?” 

The woman clings onto Alexandra’s arm, “Toshiko.” 

“Nice to meet you, Toshiko. Good name. Means clever child, right?” 

The woman nods quickly as the Doctor peers around a metal desk. From the other side of the desk, the face of a pig peers back at him, snorting. The Doctor decided not to pay too much attention to the voice in the back of his head telling him how similar it was to Alexandra’s snorts. He smiles at the pig, “Hello!” 

The pig squeals in terror and runs across the room. The soldier readies his gun, but the Doctor quickly shouts, “Don’t shoot!” 

The Doctor quickly followed after the pig, and Alexandra handed the handkerchief to Toshiko before following after him. However, as she catches up with him there is the sound of a gunshot at another soldier shoots the pig dead. The Doctor enters the corridor angrily, “What did you do that for? It was scared!” 

Alexandra kneels down next to the pig to gently rub its snout as it breathed its last breaths. “Oh, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.” 

The Doctor kneels down on the other side of the pig, “It was scared.” 

They both gently stroke the pig as it dies. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra, the Doctor, and Toshiko are standing over the pig’s body on an autopsy table. 

“I just assumed that’s what alien’s look like. But you’re saying it’s an ordinary pig? From Earth?” Toshiko asks curiously. 

“More like a mermaid. Victorian showmen used to draw crowds by taking the skull of a cat, gluing it to a fish, and calling it a mermaid.” 

“It was the skull of a monkey not a cat,” Alexandra corrects. “They and things like them were called Feejee mermaids. It was a hoax promoted by P. T. Barnum.” 

The Doctor glanced at her in amusement before turning back to the pig, “Now, someone’s taken a pig, opened up its brain, stuck bits on... then they strapped it in that ship and made it dive bomb. It must’ve been terrified. They’ve taken this animal and turned it into a joke.” 

Alexandra reached out to grip his hand softly, and he quickly led her out of the room. She looked glum as the entered the Tardis. It wasn’t hard to guess why. The pig hadn’t deserved that. Nobody does. The Archangels had done that to her, but instead of sticking bit on, they ripped bits away. 

“You okay?” the Doctor asks as he hears the redhead sniffle from behind him where she was sitting on the jump seat. 

She shakes her head as she takes a now clean tartan handkerchief and sticks it under her sunglasses to wipe her eyes. “No, but I will be.” 

He sits down beside her on the jump seat, takes her sunglass off to reveal puffy serpentine eyes, and pulls her into a hug. She wraps her arms around his waist and rests her head in the middle of his chest, listening to the twin heartbeats. He doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t think there is anything he could say to make it better. He had a feeling she was talking about more than just the pig. Instead, he gently draws Gallifreyan words into her back as she cries into his chest. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

When the Tardis finished materializing on the Powell Estate, an upset blonde stormed in with Mickey and Jackie behind her. “All right, so I lied. I went and had a look,” the Doctor admits. 

Rose looks at the redhead, whose eyes were red, “And you took Ellie with you.” She was upset that the Doctor had gone off without her, but maybe it was better that he had if whatever they had seen had been enough to make the either stoic or can’t stop smiling redhead cry. 

“I need her help,” the Doctor explains. 

“With what? Piloting the Tardis?” Rose snipped. 

Alexandra snorts, “I think he could use all the help he could get on that front. I mean he messed it up twice now.” 

The Doctor looks at her with a pout, “Oi! Can we focus on more important things than my ability to fly the Tardis? Like the fact that the whole crash landing’s a fake.” 

Alexandra give him a soft smile, “I’m sorry. Go on.” 

“It’s too perfect. I mean, “hitting Big Ben” Come on, so I thought let’s go and have a look...” he continues. 

“My mum’s here,” Rose points out. 

The Doctor turns around to look at Mickey and Jackie. He rolls his eyes, turning to Rose, “Oh, that’s just what I need. Don’t you dare make this place domestic! Alexandra doesn't bring her parents onboard."

Alexandra giggles softly causing the Doctor to look at her amusement. He was happy to see that she was getting that gleam of excitement in her eyes again. “You ruined my life, Doctor,” Mickey spoke up. 

The Doctor turned smoothly around to face him. 

“They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you.” 

The Doctor turns back to Alexandra with a raised eyebrow, “See what I mean? Domestic.” 

Alexandra’s head tips back as she cackles like a duck. The Doctor beams at her before turning back to the monitor. Mickey takes a few steps towards him, “I bet you don’t even remember my name!” 

“Ricky,” he answered not even looking away from the monitor. 

“It’s Mickey.” 

“No, it’s Ricky,” the Doctor insists. 

“I think I know my own name!” 

The Doctor turns around at that, taking a few steps closer to Mickey till they are practically in each other's faces, “You think you know your own name?” He scoffs, “How stupid are you?” 

Rose and Alexandra share a look from behind the Doctor. Too much testosterone in the room. The redhead quickly steps between them with her back to Mickey to send the Doctor a warning look, “Alright, no need to pick on each other.” The Doctor crosses his arms in exasperation. 

Jackie, who had been looking around the Tardis in bewilderment, turns and runs outside. “Mum, don’t!” Rose calls. She points to the Doctor, “Don’t go anywhere!” She turns to Mickey, “Don’t start a fight!” She turns to the redhead in apology, “Don’t let them kill each other.” Then, she runs out only to return a few seconds later, “That was a real spaceship?” 

“Yep!” the Doctor smiles turning back to the monitor. 

“So, it’s all a pack of lies? What is it then? Are they invading?” 

“Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert, “Mickey mutters, looking over the Doctor’s shoulder. 

“Good point!” the Doctor asks, somewhat impressed that someone other than Alexandra could make a connection like that. “So, what’re they up to?” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor was lying beneath the grating, his feet propped up while he worked on the wiring underneath the console. Alexandra had curled up as a snake near his left foot, something that Mickey had found interesting instead of freaking out like the redhead had expected him to do. Even the Doctor and Rose had looked on in awe as it had been the first time, she had shifted around them. She had her triangular head on the Doctor’s foot, and was presumably dozing away as he worked. However, due to a lack of eyelids, it was hard to tell if she was sleeping or just watching the Doctor work. 

Mickey comes up behind Alexandra, and she doesn’t even move. The Doctor smirks as the head on his foot lulls to the left a little. Asleep. “So, what’re you doing down there?” Mickey asks. 

“Ricky,” the Doctor looks up at him, but his words were muffled by the sonic in his mouth. 

“It Mickey.” 

The Doctor takes the sonic out his mouth, rolling his eyes. “Ricky,” he repeats firmly. “If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?” 

“I suppose not...” Mickey admits. 

The Doctor freezes when Alexandra lifts her head slightly before setting it back down. “Shut it, then, and let Alexandra sleep,” the Doctor rolls his eyes, putting the sonic back in his mouth as the head on his foot lulls again. Mickey gives him an evil eye, and moves back around the console to Rose. 

The Doctor looks away from the wires to watch Alexandra sleep. Every once in a while, she would let out a little hiss of a breath, and readjust her head on his foot as a lace would dig into her eye. He shook his head fondly as she bit one of his laces in her sleep as if she was eating in her dream. 

The slumbering snake is scared awake by the sound of sparks from the beneath the console as the Doctor grins. “Got it! Haha!” he cheers as the snake removes her head from his foot, and shifts back to her human corporation. He hops out of the grating, “Sorry, Stardust,” he whispers before grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the monitor. The redhead sleepily allows herself to be dragged around, resting her head on the Doctor’s right shoulder as they make it to the monitor. Rose makes her way around the console as well. “Patched in the radar,” the Doctor explains with a laugh as Alexandra shuts her eyes again. “Looped it back twelve hours, so we can follow the flight of the spaceship. Here we go... hold on...” Alexandra jumps awake as he whacks the monitor. “Come on!” The redhead softly strokes the console at the Tardis’ angry trill. 

A graphic of the Earth, and the flight path of the spaceship pops up on the screen. The Doctor points to a little dot, “That’s the spaceship on its way to Earth...see? Except...hold on... see, the spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed.” 

“What does that mean?” Rose asks looking between the monitor and the Doctor. 

The Doctor glances at Alexandra, who sighs, wiping the sleepiness out of her eyes. She turns her blue and gold serpentine eyes on Rose, “It means that the spaceship came from the Earth to begin with... it went up and back down again. The aliens, whoever and whatever they are, have been here for a while. Long enough to plan this...whatever this is.” 

“The question is: What have they been doing?” the Doctor muses, moving his hand to give Alexandra’s neck a little squeeze as her eyes shut again. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor was quickly flipping through news channels on the monitor with Alexandra, Rose, and Mickey standing around him. Alexandra had her head on his shoulder again. 

“How many channels do you get?” Mickey asks. 

“All the basic packages,” the Doctor answers absently. 

Alexandra nods against his shoulder, “I was watching _Seinfeld_ last night.” 

“You get the sports channels?” Mickey elaborates causing the Doctor roll his eyes as he rested his head against Alexandra’s for a moment. 

The Doctor turns to glance at Mickey with a sigh, “Yes, I get the football.” He freezes on one channel, “Hold on, I know that lot.” He points at the monitor. The other three look to see a group walking into 10 Downing Street. 

_Reporter – It is looking likely that the government is bringing in alien specialists, those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space._

“UNIT! United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, good people,” the Doctor explains, folding his arms. 

“How do you know them?” Rose asks. 

“Cause he worked for them,” Mickey cuts in, and they all turn to him in surprise. “Yeah, don’t think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor.” He smirks, “I read up on you. You look deep enough on the internet... and in the history books, and there’s his name; followed by a list of the dead.” He glares at the Doctor. 

Alexandra hisses lowly, “Hush.” Mickey looks at her in shock as the blue irises spread. 

The Doctor grips her hand tightly to get her to snap out of it before sending a fake smile in Mickey’s direction, “That’s nice, good boy, Ricky.” He sends him a glare. 

Alexandra turns to the Doctor, “If you know them...then why don’t you just go and help?” 

“They wouldn’t recognize me, I’ve changed a lot since the old days,” the Doctor shrugs. She blinks at him in confusion before she sees flashes of several other faces in her mind as well as a golden light engulfing each face before a new one appeared. She glances down at her own corporation, thinking that it wasn’t dissimilar to the way she could inhabit different bodies. She looks back up at him to nod in understanding. Different faces. Got it. “Besides the worlds on a knifes edge,” he lets go of her hand to mess around with controls on the console. “There’s aliens and fake aliens out there; we want to keep this alien, “he points at himself, “and supernatural being hybrids, “he points at Alexandra, "out of the mix.” 

Alexandra snorts, “I think aliens are more their main concern. I can blend in better.” 

The Doctor nods, “I’m going undercover... and uh, better keep the Tardis out of sight.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Ricky!” he claps the man on the back as he passes him. “You’ve got a car! You can do some driving,” he grabs Alexandra’s hand to pull her over to the door. 

“Where to?” Mickey asks incredulously, scowling at the name. 

“The roads are clear; let’s go and have a look at the spaceship,” the Doctor grins. 

Alexandra whoops in excitement, wiggling her shoulders. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Outside, the four of them are immediately caught up in a bright spotlight form a helicopter above them. Alexandra quickly places her sunglasses back over her eyes. 

_L oudspeaker – Do not move! _

Police cars and soldiers surround them, aiming their guns at them. The Doctor steps in front of Alexandra again as Mickey makes a run for it. Two soldiers run after him. 

“No!” Jackie screams, and they see her being held by soldiers. “Rose!” 

The trio looks at the spotlight above them in confusion. Alexandra glances at Jackie, and she sneers as she realizes that the older blonde must have made a call. 

_Loudspeaker – Raise your hands above your head! You are under arrest!_

The trio quickly obeys. The Doctor grins up at the helicopter, “Take me to your leader!” Alexandra cackles beside him. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

”This is a bit posh,” Rose comments as the trio was ushered into a nice black car. “If I knew it was gonna be like this, being arrested, I’d have done it years ago,” She smiles at the Doctor and Alexandra. 

“We’re not being arrested, we’re being escorted,” the Doctor beams. 

Alexandra cringes at the inside of the car, “It’s not that posh. It’s no Bentley.” 

Both Rose and the Doctor roll their eyes remembering the 2 hours of rambling that the redhead had done about her father’s antique 1930’s Bentley. Rose makes a point of looking at the Doctor instead of Alexandra, “Where to?” 

“Where’d you think? Downing Street!” He laughs as Rose joins in and Alexandra gets that twinkle in her eyes behind her sunglasses. 

“You’re kidding,” Rose gapes at him. 

“I’m not!” 

“10 Downing Street?” 

Alexandra smirks, “No. 11. Much nicer than 10.” 

The Doctor flicks her ear, “Ignore Stardust, eh? Yes, Rose. That’s the one!” 

“Oh, my God!” Rose grins with a laugh. “We’re going to 10 Downing Street?” she asks again, and the Doctor nods, beaming. “How come?” 

“I hate to say it: but Mickey was right,” Alexandra grins at his use of the other man’s real name. “Over the years I’ve visited this planet a lot of times and I’ve been uh... noticed,” he tells the girls sheepishly. 

Alexandra raises an eyebrow, “I’m getting the feeling that noticed is an understatement.” 

He pouts causing the redhead to pat his arm lightly as Rose grins, "Now they need you?” 

“Like it said on the news: they’re gathering experts in alien knowledge,” he retorts. “And who’s the biggest expert of the lot?” He looks between the girls expectantly. 

Alexandra pretends to think about it for a second with a smirk plastered on her face “Oh...I don’t know. Perhaps the 900-year-old alien with big ears that sitting next to me.” 

“Oi!” 

“Patrick Moore?” Rose asks teasingly. 

“Apart from him!” The Doctor pouts again, folding his arms. 

Alexandra cackles as she lays her head on his shoulder. 

“Don’t you just love it?” Rose smirks. 

“I’m telling you, Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table!” he smiles. “Who’s Prime Minister now?” 

“How should we know?” Rose snorts loudly. “We missed a year thanks to you,” she reminds him, narrowing her eyes playfully. The Doctor rolls his eyes. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The car stops at 10 Downing Street, and there was paparazzi and police officers everywhere. The Doctor gets out and waves at the crowns with maniac smile on his face as he went. Alexandra rolls her eyes behind her sunglasses, and lightly shoves him towards the front door as Rose follows close behind them. 

Inside the lobby, there were alien experts crowded around the small room. It made Alexandra claustrophobic if she was being honest. In fact, she was worried she’d lose sight of the Doctor due to her short stature, and gripped onto the back of his jacket, so that she would lose him. The Doctor quickly reached back to remove her hand from his jacket in favor of holding it, and dragging her to a corner, so that they would not draw that much attention. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, could we convene?” A man with black hair moves through the crowd. “Quick as we can, please! It’s this way on the right and can I remind you, ID cards are to be worn at all times!” He approaches the trio and hands an ID card to the Doctor. “Here’s your ID Card... I’m sorry, your companions don’t have clearance,” he apologizes sheepishly. 

“I don’t go anywhere without them!” the Doctor replies, slipping the ID card on. 

Alexandra snorts loudly, getting a few dirty looks from the more professional experts, “That’s the biggest lie I have ever heard.” 

“Button it,” he sends me a playful glare as she wasn’t in any way helping their case. 

“You’re the code nine, not them,” the man, whose name was Indra if his ID Card was anything to go by, cuts in before the short redhead and tall man could begin to really bicker with each other. Rose snickers quietly as she rolls her eyes at the lack of subtlety between the two, or perhaps it was the fact that they just couldn’t see what was staring them in the face. “I’m sorry, Doctor... it is the Doctor, isn’t it?” he asks with a slightly awed tone. “They’ll have to stay outside...” 

“They’re staying with me,” the Doctor repeats sternly as his hand tightens around Alexandra’s causing her to wince slightly as bones rubbed against each other. Though she didn’t tell him to let go as it wasn’t like he could break her hand. It would take a lot more than that. 

“Look, even I don’t have clearance to go in,” Indra sighs. “I can’ let them in and that’s a fact,” he shakes his head. 

Alexandra quickly puts her free hand on the Doctor’s arm as she begins to see the dark look in his eyes. She knew well enough that things would spiral out of control if he got irate about something as silly as this. “It’s fine. Really. You go. Rose and I can look after each other.” 

The Doctor looks down at her curiously before glancing between her and Rose, “Are you sure?” 

Rose nods quickly, “Yeah. They’re the experts; you should hear what they have to say.” She gives him a little shrug. 

Alexandra nods in agreement as her hand gently rubs the Doctor’s arm, “Seriously. Go. I know you want to.” 

He sighs, "I suppose so.” He looks between the two girls again with a knowing look. “Don’t get into any trouble,” he warns them. Although, Alexandra suspects that directed more towards her than Rose as she was the one with the magical powers that she wouldn’t hesitate to use if the situation went pear shaped. 

The redhead smiles softly, “We’ll try, Apple Tree. Though...with aliens around...I make not promises.” 

Rose giggles behind the Doctor as he lets out a chuckle. He gives Alexandra’s hand a squeeze before letting go and heading towards the conference room with the other experts. 

“I need a word in private!” an older woman shouted at Indra. 

“You haven’t got the clearance, now leave it!” Indra snaps back, before looking at the other two women. “I’m going to have to leave you girls with security.” 

“It’s alright, I’ll look after them,” the woman cuts in, giving the man a tight smile. “Let me be of some use.” She began to lead Rose and Alexandra away as the girls shared confused glances. “Walk with me...just keep walking...” she murmurs as they walk past guards at the door of the lobby. “That’s right...don’t look round! Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North,” she flashes her ID. Harriet stops them by a set of stairs, “This friend of yours...he’s an expert, is that right? He knows...about aliens?” 

“Why do you want to know?” Rose asks gently as Alexandra lightly rubs the woman’s back. 

Harriet breaks down into sobs. Rose quickly holds her upper arms as Alexandra continues to rub her back in circles. The redhead whispers,” Shh... it’s alright. We’ll help.” She nods towards the empty cabinet room, “Let’s go in there, yeah?” Nice and quiet.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Harriet shows them the empty bodysuit from the cupboard. Alexandra paled at the sight of it, and gulps down the bile that had begun to make its way up. **And I thought Cassandra was bad. Maybe I should have turned into a snake, and hid in the Doctor’s jacket? Would’ve saved me the nightmares I’m** **gonna** **have about skin suits.** **** “They turned the body into a suit!” Harriet cried. “A disguise for the thing inside!” 

Alexandra grimaces as she takes the ‘suit’ to examine it despite her disgust. 

“It’s alright!” Rose soothes the woman despite her own green face. “We believe you, it’s...” she glances at Alexandra, who nods in confirmation. “It’s alien. They must have some serious technology behind this...” 

Alexandra gently places the ‘suit’ down on the long table, “You’re guess is as good as mine. Maybe I need to read a few books on alien species along with the Tardis manual.” She fiddles with the zipper of her white leather jacket, “If we could find the technology. Then, we could tell the Doctor, or use it to stop them.” 

Rose nods and the two girls begin to feverishly search the room for any signs of alien technology. Alexandra yelps loudly when Rose opens a cupboard, and a body falls out. She glances at Rose in concern, “Do you think we’ll be blamed for this?” 

Rose looks at her in exasperation, “Really? That’s your main concern.” 

“We’ll I wouldn’t like to go to prison for killing the bleeding Prime Minister when I had absolutely nothing to do with it.” 

Harriet joins them in gaping at the body as Indra walks in. “Harriet for God’s sake! This had gone beyond a joke; you cannot just wander...” he trails off when he sees the body lying on the floor. “Oh, my God! That’s the Prime Minister!” 

“Oooooh!” A voice coos, and the small group turns to see Margaret Blaine. 

At the alarming smell of calcium, Alexandra steps in front of Rose with a hiss. 

“That’s impossible! He left this afternoon! The Prime Minister left Downing Street! He was driven away!” Indra shouts, staring between Margaret and the Prime Minister in bafflement. 

Alexandra rolls her eyes behind her sunglasses, “I think we can assume that didn’t happen considering he’s dead on the floor of the cabinet room.” 

Margaret grins, "And who told you that? Hmm? Me!” 

Margaret raises her hand to her forehead, stroking the blonde hair out of the way. The redhead gulps loudly at the sight of a zipper. She glances towards the empty body suit before locking her eyes back on Margaret...or not Margaret. Margaret begins to pull the zipper open slowly, releasing a blindingly bright blue light. Alexandra hisses lowly as a huge, slimy, green alien with a baby-like face and round black eyes, long arms with long fingers and sharp talons, breaks free of the body suit. She notices the device around the alien’s neck, and her head pounds when she realizes it’s a compression field despite the fact that she definitely shouldn’t know what that is. The voice that had told her had also sounded remarkably like the Doctor, but that wasn’t possible. Wasn’t it? She shouldn’t be able to hear his thought when he’s not in the same room as her. That was usually the limit. 

She didn’t get to linger on her thoughts as Margaret roars loudly. She grabs Indra by the throat, pushing him up against the wall. Alexandra chooses to ignore the tearing pain in her chest, the blood seeping from where a stray talon had caught her. However, her vision blurred dangerously as she tried to focus on the scene unravelling in front of her. 


	5. World War III

Margaret is suddenly engulfed in electricity, and drops Indra’s body from the wall. Alexandra, Rose, and Harriet quickly make a run for it. Although, Alexandra takes up the back of the group as her sight continued to blur dangerously as they ran. She raises her left hand under her jacket to at least apply some pressure to her gushing wound. She almost regrets it as agonizing pain shoots across her abdomen, across her chest, and makes her legs feel like jelly. 

“No, wait!” Harriet shouts causing the group to freeze. “They’re still in there! The emergency protocols! We need them!” She begins to run back to the cabinet room. 

Alexandra groans softly, “Really? I think we need to find the Doctor more. Like imminently.” Neither of her companions had taken notice of the red beginning to stain her pale ivory skin, white leather jacket, and white sailor shorts. Yeah. It was safe to say that at least she needed the Doctor, who would hopefully live up to his name. 

Rose and the paling redhead huff before slowly following after Harriet. However, before they even get to the doors, they have to change directions as Margaret came bolting out of the room like a hound on the chase. Doors smash behind them as Margaret runs through them. Alexandra runs to a door only to find it locked, and the trio of girls turns at the pinging of the lift behind them. The redhead almost slumps to the floor in relief, or maybe it was the blood loss. Standing inside the lift was the Doctor. Margaret freezes upon seeing him. He looks briefly at the situation before grinning at Margaret, “Hello.” He waves at her cheerfully. 

The trio uses his distraction to bolt into an adjacent room unnoticed. The room looks like a large office, but it’s a dead end. There’s no way out except the way they came. 

Alexandra stumbles towards the window curtains. “Hide,” she hisses softly as her tongue begins to feel like cotton. 

Harriet hides behind a changing screen, and Rose follows Alexandra towards the windows. The door opens, and they can hear Margaret’s large footsteps as she walks in. “Oh, such fun!” she laughs. “Little Human children, and the abomination... where are you?” she coos as Alexandra grimaces as white-hot pain shoots throughout her body. “Sweet little humeykins... come to me... let me kiss you better,” she goes on. “Kiss you with my big green lips,” she hisses. “My brothers!” she exclaims suddenly. 

Alexandra almost cries as her vision blurs again. She shuts her eyes as she grips the window sill to keep upright. **Please, Doctor. Anytime now would be good.**

The sound of two more sets of footsteps announces the arrival of more of the aliens. “Happy hunting?” one asks sounding like Joseph Green. 

“It’s wonderful! The more you prolong it, the more they stink,” Margaret laughs happily. 

Alexandra opens her eyes to glance at the blood now staining her legs and white boots. **Oh god. Bad day to wear white.**

**“** Sweat...fear... and blood,” another male sneers. 

“I can smell an old girl... stale bird... brittle bones, "Joseph sniffs the air. 

“And two ripe youngsters,” Margaret coos. “All hormones and adrenaline, fresh enough to bend before they snap! Though... I’ve already wounded one.” Alexandra jumps at her curtain was ripped away to reveal her bleeding form. Rose’s eyes widen as she gasps at the sight of her best friend bleeding out. 

“No!” Harriet screams, jumping out of her hiding spot with her arms raised. “Take me first! Take me!” 

Alexandra cries out in relief as the Doctor chooses that moment to crash into the room with a fire extinguisher. “Out with me!” he shouts to the trio of girls. 

Rose pull the curtain over Margaret’s head and helps Alexandra remain conscious as they make their way behind the Doctor. The moment they are within reaching distance of the Doctor, Alexandra reaches for the back of his jacket. The Doctor glances at Harriet, “Who the hell are you?” 

“Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North,” she introduces herself. 

“Nice to meet you,” the Doctor smiles. 

“Likewise.” 

The Doctor blasts the fire extinguisher, and the four of them make a run for it. “We need to get to the cabinet room!” the Doctor shouts as he grips Alexandra’s hand to lead her stumbling body forwards. 

“The emergency protocols are in there! They give instructions on aliens!” 

“Harriet Jones, I like you,” the Doctor smiles. 

“I think I like you too,” she smiles back. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rushing back into the cabinet room, the Doctor uses his sonic on the door we came through. Then, he releases Alexandra causing her to grip the table to remain upright as he grabs a decanter of brandy, and rushes to the door the aliens were at. He holds his sonic up to the decanter, “One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol! Whoof! We all go up! So back off!” he warns. Alexandra opens her mouth to retort, but he very quickly sends her a look pleading with her to remain silent. 

The aliens back off a little bit in the outer office. “Right then: question time!” the Doctor smiles politely. “Who exactly are the Slitheen?” 

“They’re aliens,” Harriet points out. 

Alexandra whines softly as the Doctor rolls his eyes, “Yes, I got that, thanks.” 

“Who are you, if not Human?” Joseph demands. 

“Who’s not human?” Harriet frowns. 

“He and she aren’t human, “Rose points between the Doctor and the redhead getting her blood in the carpeted floor. 

“They’re not human?” Harriet gapes. 

“Can I have a little bit of hush?” the Doctor sighs. 

“Sorry...” Harriet mutters sheepishly. 

“So, what’s the plan?” The Doctor asks the Slitheen. 

“But he’s got a northern accent!” 

“Lots of planets have a north,” Rose defends. 

“I said: hush!” the Doctor hisses, and they quiet down. Alexandra can’t help the smirk that rises on her face before it’s washed away as nausea makes her clinch her mouth shut. The Doctor waves the decanter threateningly, “Come on! You've got a spaceship hiding in the North Sea; it’s transmitting a signal and you’ve murdered your way to the top of the government, and have hurt my best friend... what for? Invasion?” 

Alexandra glances up at that. She’d honestly thought that he hadn’t noticed due to everything going on. 

“Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?” one of the aliens asked. 

“They something’s brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?” 

“The Slitheen race?” the alien scoffs. 

“Slitheen is not our species,” Joseph cuts in. “Slitheen is our surname! Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer Da Slitheen at your service,” he bows mockingly. 

“So, you’re a family,” the Doctor sums up. 

“It’s a family business,” Joseph retorts. 

“Then you’re out to make a profit. How can you do that on a ‘God-forsaken rock’?” 

“Ahhh... excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the falmmability?” the other male Slitheen asks. 

“Is that what I said?” the Doctor asks lightly causing Alexandra to groan loudly. 

“You’re making it up!” 

“Ah, well, nice try,” the Doctor shrugs. “Harriet, have a drink; I think you’re going to need it.” He holds out the decanter to her from behind his back. 

Harriet; however, was clutching the red suitcase with the emergency protocols, “Pass it to the left first. I think Alexandra needs it more than I do.” 

“Sorry,” the Doctor hands the decanter to the redhead, who greedily takes several swigs despite the burning in her throat. She needed to blur out her perception of the overwhelming pain. Alexandra then passes it to Rose, who takes a small swig. 

“Now we can end this hunt... with a slaughter,” one of the aliens' smirks as they begin to move towards us. 

The Doctor just folds his arms, looking at ease. 

“Don’t you think we should run?” Rose asks incredulously looking between the Doctor and Alexandra, who also looks at ease despite the unbearable pain she must be in. 

“Fascinating history, Downing street,” the Doctor grins. “I’ll have to tell you since Alexandra has a more important job of keeping herself conscious. Two thousand years ago, this was marshland...1739, it was occupied by a Mr. Chicken... he was a nice man,” he shakes his head with a chuckle. “1796, this was the cabinet room; if the cabinet’s in session and in danger, these are about the four safest walls in the whole of Great Britain.” He presses a switch by the door, "End of lesson.” He beams. 

Metal doors crash down around the entire room, including the walls. The Doctor turns to the three behind him, looking pleased with himself, “Installed in 1991! Three inches of steel lining every wall; they’ll never get in!” He beams. 

Rose glances at Alexandra, who looks like death warmed over, "And how do we get out?” 

The Doctor’s smile fades, “Ah...” 

Alexandra rolls her eyes, “Dumbo.” 

Her hand finally slips off the table, and if it weren’t for the Doctor’s arms encircling her waist, she would have face planted into the blood-soaked floor. He gently leads her to a chair before moving her jacket out of the way to reveal the puncture wound that spanned from just above her right breast to below her ribcage. He looks at her face in concern as he pulls her sunglasses off, “I told you to be careful.” 

Her head lolls to the right, “I didn’t go looking for the Slitheen. She found me. I got caught in the crossfire.” 

She panics when he leaves her side as her vision was too blurry to make out where he went. She screams silently in agony when pressure is applied to her side. She grips the arms of the chair, so tightly the wood cracks under her hands. “I know. I know it hurts, but you have to breathe. Tensing will make it worse,” the Doctor’s soft voice says from her right. Alexandra hesitantly lets out a shaky breath. 

She glances at him with tears streaming down her face, “Have I.....I mentioned how...much I hate you?” 

He chuckles, “Yes. You have. Several times actually, Stardust.” 

“My legs are numb... I know that means.” Her eyes flutter closed. 

The cold hand on her face would normally be very comforting, but her skin is roughly the same temperature, so she barely even registers it. “Hey! Don’t you dare fall asleep on me. You’ve done that all day. Open your eyes!” 

She forces her eyes open to meet terrified blue ones. She smiles at him, “Don’t worry about me. Focus on the aliens.” 

He goes to argue, but she holds up a trembling hand, “It’s too late, and you know it. You can’t save me. Not this time.” 

The Doctor shakes his head before looking at the blonde, “Rose!” 

The blonde is behind him in seconds, “What can I do?” 

“Hold this down with all your body weight. More pressure, less bleeding. Keeps the body alive longer.” 

Rose frowns, but replaces his hands with hers. Alexandra sighs shakily as she watches the Doctor pull Indra’s body into the cupboard. “What’s his name?” 

“Which one?” Harriet asks. 

“This one, the secretary or whatever he was called...” 

“Indra Ganesh,” Alexandra whispers. “I remember, so you don’t have to.” 

The Doctor nods, crossing Indra’s arms over his body, “Sorry, Indra.” He walks back out of the cupboard, “Right. What have we got? Any terminals? Anything?” 

“You mean besides the metal walls? No. This place in antique. Too bad I had to ruin the carpet.” 

“What I don’t get is: when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn’t they use him as a disguise?” Rose asks. 

“He’s too slim, they’re big old breasts, they need to fit inside big humans,” the Doctor explains. He pokes Alexandra’s face as her eyes slid shut. She whines softly as she forces them open again. 

“But the Slitheen are about eight feet... how do they squeeze inside?” 

“That’d be the device around their neck; compression field, literally shrinks them down a bit. That’s why there’s all that gas, it’s a big exchange.” 

“Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller.” 

Alexandra laughs before letting out a groan as pain shoot across her chest. 

“Excuse me, people are dead, and dying!” Harriet snaps. “This is not the time for making jokes!” 

“Sorry...” Rose mutters awkwardly. “You get used to this stuff when your friends with these two,” she accuses the Doctor and redhead teasingly. 

Alexandra smiles softly while the Doctor scoffs. 

Harriet blinks in surprise, “Well... that’s a strange friendship.” 

“You have no idea...” Alexandra murmurs. 

“Harriet Jones, I’ve heard that name before...Harriet Jones,” the Doctor muses as he scans Alexandra with his sonic again. “You’re not famous for anything. Are you?” 

“Huh! Hardly,” she scoffs. 

“Rings a bell, Harriet Jones...” he murmurs. Alexandra winks at him, and he knows that she’s figured it out despite her hazy mind, but most certainly won’t tell him. 

“Lifelong backbencher, I’m afraid,” Harriet continues. “A fat of use I’m being now...” she sighs. “The protocols are redundant; they list the people who can help and they’re all dead downstairs.” 

“Hasn’t it got like, defense codes and things?” Rose asks. “Can we just launch a nuclear bomb at ‘em?” 

Alexandra and Harriet look at her in shock. 

“You’re a very violent young woman...” Harriet points out causing the Doctor and the redhead to snort. 

“I’m serious! We could!” Rose insists. 

“Well, there’s nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it’s kept secret by the United Nations.” 

“Say that again,” the Doctor cuts in, gripping Alexandra’s shoulder as her head lulls again. 

“What, about the codes?” Harriet asks, frowning. 

“Anything... all of it,” the Doctor orders with a thoughtful expression. 

“Um, well... the British Isles can’t gain access to atomic weapons without a special resolution from the UN,” Harriet explains. 

“Like that’s ever stopped ‘em,” Rose scoffs. 

“Exactly!” Harriet exclaims. “Given our past record, and I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the government’s hands and given to the UN.” She looks at the Doctor with a frown, “Is it important?” 

“Everything's important,” the Doctor replies absently. 

Alexandra grips the hand on her shoulder. _What’s wrong, Apple Tree? What can’t you see?_

He shakes his head. 

“If only we knew what the Slitheen wanted,” Harriet sighs. She pauses before her eyes widen, “Listen to me! I’m saying Slitheen as if it’s normal!” 

Alexandra giggles, “You get used to it.” 

“What do they want, though?” Rose frowns as she adjusts her pressure on Alexandra’s abdomen causing the redhead to whimper. 

“Well... it’s just one family, so it’s not an invasion,” the Doctor mutters as his eyebrows furrow. “They don’t want Slitheen world. They’re out to make money, which means they want to use something.” He frowns, crossing his arms, "Something here on Earth, some kind of asset...” 

“Like what? Gold? Oil? Water?” Harriet offers. 

Alexandra seems to perk up, “Now, we’re getting somewhere.” 

“You’re very good at this,” the Doctor smiles. 

“Thank you,” Harriet smiles back, pleased to have been of some help. 

The Doctor looks back at Alexandra, “Harriet Jones, why do I know that name?” 

The redhead rolls her eyes, “It’s literally staring you in the face.” 

Rose’s phone goes off suddenly, and Alexandra pulls it out of her pocket for her, “That’s her.” 

“But we’re sealed off! How did you get a signal?” Harriet asks. 

“He zapped it,” Rose smiles. “Super phone!” 

“Then we can phone for help!” Harriet smiles. “You must have contacts,” she turns to the Doctor. 

“Dead downstairs, and bleeding out in this chair, yeah,” he sighs. 

Alexandra opens up the message on Rose’s phone, and freezes. “Doctor...It’s Mickey.” 

“Oh, tell her stupid boyfriend we’re busy!” the Doctor whines. 

Alexandra reaches out to smack him in the groin causing a loud yelp to come from his throat before she showed him the phone, “Yeah... he’s not stupid.” 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

Alexandra phones Mickey, and he immediately begins rambling about the alien, “No, no, no, no, no, not just alien, but like proper alien! All stinking and wet and disgusting!” The Doctor scoffs, but Mickey just continues, “More to the point, it wanted to kill us!” 

“I could’ve died!” Jackie calls over the phone. 

Alexandra rolls her eyes so hard that she’s practically looking at her brain. 

“Is she alright?” Rose asks before quickly adding, “Don’t put her on. Just tell us!” 

The Doctor rips the phone out of Alexandra’s hand causing her to glare at him. He sends her a cheeky grin. “Is that Ricky?” he asks. “Don’t talk, just shut up and go to your computer,” he orders. “Mickey the Idiot... I might choke before I finish this sentence, but um... I need you,” he admits with a heavy sigh. 

Alexandra shakes her head fondly with a roll of her eyes. 

The Doctor plugs the phone into the conference speaker on the table, and folds his arms, “Say again.” 

“It’s asking for the password.” 

“Buffalo, two Fs, one L” 

Alexandra giggles, “I think we all know how to spell Buffalo.” 

“So, what’s that website?” Jackie asks. 

“All the secret information known to mankind,” Mickey explains dramatically. “See, they’ve known about aliens for years, they just kept us in the dark...” 

“Mickey, you were born in the dark, "the Doctor scoffs. 

Alexandra raises her hand to smack his groin again, and he’s quick to turn away from her as Rose glares at him, “Oh, Leave him alone.” 

“Thank you,” Mickey says. “Password again.” 

“Just repeat it, every time,” the Doctor orders. “Big Ben, why did the Slitheen hit Big Ben?” 

“You said to gather the experts, to kill them,” Harriet reminds him. 

“That lot would’ve gathered for a weather balloon.” 

Alexandra smiles dreamily, “Ah...Roswell.” 

He hums in confirmation, “You don’t need to crash land in the middle of London.” 

“The Slitheen were hiding, and they put the entire planet on red alert, what would they do that for?” Rose asks. 

“Oh, listen to her,” Jackie scoffs. 

“Oi, at least I’m trying,” Rose defends. 

“Well, I’ve got a question if you don’t mind. Because since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets! I have had creatures form the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter disappears of the face of the Earth!” 

“I told you what happened,” Rose sighs. 

“Also, the Slitheen are not from hell. I would know,” Alexandra corrects. 

“I’m talking to him!” Jackie shouts. “Cause I’ve seen this life of yours, Doctor, and maybe you get off on it and maybe you think it’s all clever and smart, but tell me... just answer me this: is my daughter safe?” She asks. 

The Doctor immediately looks at Alexandra still bleeding out despite the pressure being applied to the gaping wound. She’d be lucky to make it out of the room alive. Not that he doubted her ability to surprise him. 

“I’m fine,” Rose mutters. 

“Is she safe?” Jackie ignores her. “Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that?” 

The Doctor just continues to stare at Alexandra causing her breath to hitch at the vulnerability he was displaying. 

“Well, what’s the answer?” 

“We’re in!” Mickey cuts in, and the Doctor slumps in relief before jumping back into action. 

“Right, then. On the left, there’s a tab, an icon, little concentric circles... click on that, "he orders. 

“What is it?” Mickey asks when a beeping comes over the speaker. 

“He’ll have to answer me one day,” Jackie grumbles. 

“Hush!” Mickey hisses. 

“It’s some sort of message,” the Doctor frowns. 

“What’s it say?” Rose asks 

“Don’t know,” the Doctor shakes his head. “It’s on a loop, keeps repeating...hush!” he snaps when there is a ring. 

“That’s not me!” Mickey protests. “Go and see who that is.” 

“It’s three o’clock in the morning,” Jackie argues. 

“Well, go and tell them that,” Mickey snaps. 

Alexandra lifts her head from where it was resting against the chair, “Could it be an advertisement. You said they wanted to make a profit.” 

The Doctor glances at her in relief. She must be doing better if she’s starting to make connections like that again. 

“It’s him!” Jackie screams. “It’s the thing! It’s the Slikeen!” 

Alexandra reaches out for the Doctor’s leather clad arm in concern. 

“They’ve found us,” Mickey states. 

“Mickey, I need that signal!” the Doctor stresses. 

“Never mind the signal, mum just get out! Get out! Get out!” Rose exclaims. 

“We can’t, it’s by the front door,” Mickey explains. “Oh, my God! It’s unmasking. It’s gonna kill us.” 

“There’s got to be some way of stopping them!” Harriet shouts, looking at the Doctor. “You’re supposed to be the expert, think of something!” 

“I’m trying!” the Doctor defends. 

Alexandra looks at him with desperation in her eyes, “Try harder.” 

“I’ll take it on, Jackie, you just run,” Mickey says. 

There’s a loud crash and Rose jumps, looking at the Doctor, “That’s my mother...” 

The Doctor looks between Alexandra and Rose before straightening. “Right!” He goes to the head of the table, and leans on the back of the chair. “If we’re going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they’re from; which planet... so, judging by their face and shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets withing traveling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!” 

“They’re green,” Rose points out. 

“Yep, narrows it down.” 

“They have a really good sense of smell. Could probably put me to shame,” Alexandra states. 

“Narrows it down!” 

“They can smell adrenaline,” Rose adds. 

“Narrows it down!” 

“The pig technology,” Harriet supplies. 

“Narrows it down!” 

“The spaceship in the Thames; you said it had a slipstream engine?” Rose asks. 

“Narrows it down!” 

“It’s getting in!” Mickey yells. 

“Oh! They hunt like it’s a ritual,” Rose adds. 

“Narrows it down!” 

“Wait a minute!” Harriet holds up a hand. “Did you notice, when they fart, if you’ll pardon the word, it doesn’t just smell like a fart, if you’ll pardon the word, it’s something else, what is it, it’s more like uh...um....” she trails off. 

“Bad breath!” Rose shouts. 

Alexandra’s eyes widen, “Calcium. I smelled it on Margaret earlier when she first found us.” 

“That’s it!” Harriet points at the two girls. 

“Calcium decay!” the Doctor grins. “Now that narrows it down!” He begins to pace. 

“We’re getting there, guys!” Rose yells. 

“Too late!” Mickey yells back. 

“Calcium phosphate, organic calcium, living calcium, creatures made out of living calcium,” the Doctor mutters. “What else? What else?... hyphenated surname, yes! That narrows it down to one planet!” He cheers. “Raxacoricofallapatorius!” He exclaims, and Alexandra blinks. 

“Raxacoricofallapatorius?” She repeats softly. 

“Oh, yeah, great,” Mickey scoffs. “We could write ‘em a letter!” 

“Get into the kitchen!” the Doctor orders, moving back to the speaker. 

“My God, it’s going to rip us apart!” Jackie squeals. 

“Trust me it doesn’t feel too great either,” Alexandra mutters. 

“Calcium recombined with compression field, acetic acid...” the Doctor mumbles. 

“Vinegar!” Alexandra sits up straighter despite the pain it causes. The Doctor sends her a dorky grin. 

“Just like Hannibal!” Harriet cheers. 

“Just like Hannibal,” the Doctor laughs. “Mickey, have you got any vinegar?” 

“How should I know?” Mickey yells. 

“It’s your kitchen,” the Doctor looks at the speaker incredulously. 

“Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf,” Rose sighs. 

“Give it here, what do you need?” Jackie asks. 

“Anything with vinegar!” the Doctor orders quickly. 

“Gherkins!” She says happily as they hear sloshing over the speaker. “Yeah! Pickled onions! Pickled eggs!” 

Alexandra groans at the nausea the mention of food brings over her. “You kiss this man?” the Doctor asks Rose. 

Rose rolls her eyes. 

There is an explosion and a loud fart sound from the speaker, and we all slump in relief. 

“Hannibal?” Rose asks. 

“Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar,” Alexandra explains. 

“Oh, well, there you go then.” 

The Doctor hands out glassed of brandy, and the four toast. Alexandra quickly downs her glass, setting it down softly on the table. She cackles as the Doctor grimaces and spits the brandy back into his glass. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra was sweating heavily despite her pale white skin as blood seeped from between Rose’s fingers on her side. She was beginning to hallucinate that the Doctor was surrounded by a halo of light, or maybe she was just seeing his aura. She couldn’t tell as her consciousness continued to slip further away with each passing second that ticked by. 

“Listen to this,” Mickey calls over the speaker as the quartet looks towards it. 

_Green- Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction, capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds._

“What?” The Doctor asks incredulously as Alexandra begins to hear the words to Queen’s “Somebody to Love” in the corner of her mind. 

_Green- Our technicians can...baffle... the alien probes. But not for long. We are facing extinction. Unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg the United Nations; pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes! A nuclear strike at the heart of the ship is our only chance of survival. Because... from this moment on... it is my solemn duty to inform you... planet Earth is at war._

“He’s making it up!” The Doctor glares at the speaker. “There’s no weapons up there, there’s no threat; he just invented it,” he grounds out. 

“Do you think they’ll believe him?” Harriet asks. 

“They did last time,” Rose sighs as more blood drips down her hand. 

Alexandra giggles deliriously, “We’re doomed!” 

The other three look at the redhead worriedly before the Doctor looks horrified. “That’s why the Slitheen went for a spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out-” 

“They release the defense codes...” Rose trails off. 

“...and the Slitheen go nuclear” the Doctor finishes. 

“But Why?” Harriet asks. 

“Why not?” Alexandra counters in a moment of coherence. 

The Doctor goes to open the metal shutters, and the Slitheen are still standing outside. “You get the codes, release the missiles. But not into space because there’s nothing there; you attack every other country on Earth, they retaliate, fight back, World War III, whole Planet gets nuked,” he sneers with anger and disgust. 

“And we can sit through it in our spaceship waiting in the Thames,” Margaret smirks. “Not crashed, just parked; two minutes away” 

“But you’ll destroy the planet, this beautiful place!” Harriet exclaims appalled. “What for?” 

“Profit,” the Doctor grinds out. “Alexandra the capitalists have struck again. That’s what that signal is beaming in to Space, an advert.” 

Margaret smirks again, “Sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks capable of powering every cut-price starliner and budget cargo ship. There’s a recession out there, Doctor, people are buying cheap; this rock becomes raw fuel.” 

“At the cost of 5 billion lives,” the Doctor glares with fists clenched at his sides. 

“Bargain” Margaret retorts. 

“Then I give you a choice: leave this planet, or I’ll stop you” 

The Slitheen all begin to laugh and Margaret raises an eyebrow, “What? You? Trapped in your box?” 

“Never underestimate a box,” Alexandra grounds out as she adds her own hands to try and help Rose keep her from bleeding out. 

The Doctor can’t help the smirk that makes its way across his face, “Yes, me” 

Margaret laughs more, but with a little more nervousness thrown in. The Doctor shuts the cabinet room once more, and Margaret's smile wavers as the door's seal. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

“Alright, Doctor,” Jackie signs through the speaker. “I’m not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do.” 

“If we ferment the port, we could make acetic acid,” Harriet suggests. 

“Not enough to kill all the Slitheen,” Alexandra whispers quietly managing to do that little bit of chemistry in her head. 

“Mickey, any luck?” Rose asks. 

“There’s loads of emergency numbers... they’re all on voicemail,” he mutters. 

“Voicemail dooms us all,” Harriet groans. 

Alexandra smirks as her eyes fall closed, “Voicemail saved the day once. Dad trapped Hastur in voicemail.” 

Rose smiles sadly at the redhead, “If only we could just get out of here...” 

“There’s a way out,” the Doctor shrugs. 

“What?” 

“There’s always been a way out,” he states simply. 

“Then... why don’t we use it,” Rose asks. 

The Doctor glances at Alexandra, who’s breathing was becoming labored. He strides over to the speaker, "Because I can’t guarantee either of you will be safe...” 

Alexandra opens her eyes, “Do it.” 

“Don’t you dare!” Jackie shouts. “Whatever it is, don’t you dare!” 

“That’s the thing, if I don’t dare, everyone dies,” the Doctor argues. 

“Do it,” Rose agrees with the delirious redhead. 

The Doctor looks up, but he’s not staring at Rose. Only Alexandra. “You don’t even know what it is, you’d just let me?” 

“Yeah,” Rose says simply. 

Alexandra smiles at him, "Forget about me. Do what you have to do.” 

“Please, Doctor. Please! She’s my daughter, she’s just a kid!” Jackie pleads. 

“Do you think I don’t know that? Because this is my life, Jackie, it’s not fun, it’s not smart, it’s just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will.” 

“Then what’re you waiting for?” Rose asks softly as Alexandra coughs lightly, and blood dribbles down her chin. 

The Doctor watches the blood drip from Alexandra’s mouth and down Rose’s hands. “I could save the world but lose you.” 

Rose ducks her head as tears well in her ees. She knows he’s not talking to her. He hasn’t been this whole time. The only thing he’s focused on at all is the woman bleeding out beneath her hands. He loves her, and know Rose knew it for certain. To the Doctor, Alexandra what more important than the whole universe combined. 

Alexandra shuts her eyes, “Do it.” 

“Except it’s not your decision, Doctor. It’s mine.” Harriet states. 

“And who the hell are you?” Jackie asks angrily. 

“Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people, for the people, and on behalf of the people I command you. Do it” 

The Doctor hadn’t needed to be commanded. He’d made his decisions from the from the moment Alexandra told him what to do. He looks at the redhead, who blinked tiredly at him, and grinned. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rose watches as the Doctor crosses to the other side of the table, “How do we get out?” 

“We don’t. We stay here,” he replies, flipping through the emergency protocols. He turns to the speaker to give Mickey instructions. “Use the Buffalo password, it overrides everything.” 

“What’re you doing?” Jackie asks. 

“Hacking into the Royal Navy,” Mickey explains as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do. “We’re in. Here it is, uh... H.M.S. Taureen, Trafalgar Class Submarine, 10 miles off the coast of Plymouth.” 

“Right, we need to select a missile,” the Doctor mutters. 

“We can’t go nuclear, we don’t have the defense codes,” Mickey argues. 

“We don’t need it, all we need is an ordinary missile,” the Doctor retorts causing Alexandra to smirks. “What’s the first category?” 

“Sub Haffoon, UGMA4A.” 

“That’s the one! Select,” the Doctor orders. 

“I could stop you,” Jackie threatens. 

“Do it, then,” Mickey challenges. 

“Ready for this?” The Doctor asks. 

“Yeah.” 

“Mickey the idiot. The world is in your hands... Fire.” 

Harriet goes over to the metal in front of the windows, “How solid are these?” 

“Not solid enough, “the Doctor shakes his head. “Built for short range attack... nothing like this.” 

Alexandra raises a bloody hand, and snaps. “Now they are,” she whispers. 

Rose nods determinedly. “Alright. Now I’m making the decision. I’m not gonna die, we’re gonna ride this one out.” She quickly releases the pressure on Alexandra’s side, and the Doctor quickly takes over when what little blood is left in the redhead’s tiny body begins to gush out. Rose opens the cupboard. “It’s like what they say about earthquakes, you can survive ‘em by standing under a doorframe. Now this cupboard’s small, so it’s strong. Come and help me! Come on!” 

Harriet hurries over to help her clear the cupboard. 

Alexandra looks at the Doctor sadly, “You’re gonna have to leave me here.” 

“No,” he mutters. 

“What are you gonna do? Carry me, and hold pressure at the same time?” 

“Try me.” 

Alexandra blinks as the halo of light around the Doctor flares again, and this time she feels the pull in her chest as well. She tears up looking at him. “ _Oh.”_

He looks at her in confusion, “What?” 

Alexandra smiles, “Nothing.” 

Before the Doctor can question her further, Mickey comes over the speaker. “It’s on radar. Counter defense 556!” 

“Stop them intercepting it!” the Doctor orders. 

“I’m doing it now.” 

“Good boy,” the Doctor praises. 

“556 neutralized.” 

Alexandra groans loudly as she ends the call, and rips the phone off the speaker. She gives the Doctor a swift nod. The Doctor motions for Rose to come back over to relieve him of holding pressure. Then, when Rose’s hands are firmly on her side, the Doctor lifts Alexandra out of the chair causing her to scream in agony as white-hot pain shoots all over her body. 

The quartet bundle in the cupboard. Rose on the Doctor’s right, Harriet on his left, and Alexandra tucked against his chest as tear stream down her face from the pain shooting through her little body. 

“Nice knowing you three,” Harriet smiles. 

Rose, the Doctor, and Harriet link hands around Alexandra. 

“Hannibal!” Harriet cheers. 

The quartet brace themselves as the room suddenly begins to shake. However, they are quickly thrown all around the room. Alexandra ended up on her stomach causing blinding pain, but she landed on top of the Doctor, so maybe it wasn’t too bad. Not that her pain filled mind would agree. 

The Doctor laughs gleefully as he stands up before lifting Alexandra into his arms. There pressure between his chest and her side seems to be enough to deter any major bleeding for the moment. The Doctor grips Alexandra tightly as he kicks the door open, and they climb out of the cabinet room. 

“Made in Britain,” Harriet smiles patting the side of the metal room. 

A soldier rushes up to them, "Are you alright?” 

“Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North,” she flashes her ID. “I want you to contact the UN Immediately; tell the ambassadors the crisis is over and they can step down,” she orders. “Go on, tell the news!” 

“Yes, ma’am,” he nods before hurrying off. 

“Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out, "Harriet shakes her head. “Oh, Lord! We haven’t even got a Prime Minister!” 

“Well, maybe you should have a go,” the Doctor smirks as Alexandra gives Harriet a weak, but encouraging smile. 

“Me?” she laughs. “I’m only a backbencher,” she denies. 

“I’d vote for you,” Rose smiles. 

Alexandra holds up a shaky hand in agreement. 

“Now, don’t be silly,” Harriet blushes. “Look... I’d better go and see if I can help.” She begins to climb over the rubble and toward a crown of people down the street. 

The Doctor beams as they make their way through the rubble, “I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones! Future Prime Minister! Elected for three successive terms; the architect of Britian’s Golden Age!” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra winces as the Doctor finishes wrapping up her chest and side. The Doctor just shakes his head, “Really? The Tardis and I just stitched you up, and brought you back from the brink of death, and that you wince at?” 

She smacks his arm, “Hush. It’s been a long day, and you’ve gotten quite an eye full. I just want to get into pjs and sleep for a week.” 

He hums, "A yes... the domestic approach.” 

Alexandra smirks, “You really can’t sit, still can you?” 

“No.” 

She cackles as she slowly sits up, and tosses her legs over the side of the medical bed, “Alright. Alright. At least let me get a change of clothes. I think white is out of my rotation for a while.” 

The Doctor stares at her thoughtfully, “You could wear that little rose number again.” 

She looks at him in amusement. She knows exactly what he likes about that outfit. “You just have me around for my rack, don’t you?” 

The Doctor sputters, and Alexandra holds up a hand, “Kidding. I was thinking more of a tank top and leggings. Rather comfy that way.” 

He’s still blushing as he helps her off the bed, and gestures for her to lead the way out of the medical bay. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Outside the Powell Estate, there was a boy washing off the words ‘White Serpent’ that he had graffitied on the Tardis. Mickey was sitting on an old dustbin, waiting to talk to the Doctor. The Doctor steps out with a limping Alexandra, who had dressed in a blue tank top, black leggings, a purple North Face jacket, and a pair of black converse shoes. 

The Doctor looks down at the boy, “Good lad.” He smiled. “Graffiti that again and I’ll have you; now beat it.” 

The kid grabs his wash bucket and runs off quickly as Alexandra smacks the Doctor on the arm for being so harsh. The Doctor rolls his eyes at the redhead before grinning at Mickey. 

“I just went down to the shop,” Mickey tells him. “And I was thinking, you know... like the whole world’s changed? Aliens and spaceships all in public, and here it is,” he lifts up a newspaper. 

_Alien hoax?_ Was the headline on the front page, and the duo shake their head with smiles. 

“How could they do that?” Mickey demands. “They saw it!” 

“They’re just not ready,” the Doctor shrugs. “You're happy to believe in something that invisible but if it’s staring you right in the face, nope! Can’t see it! There's a scientific explanation for that: you’re thick.” 

Alexandra giggles as she points to the newspaper, “Not to mention that the government is plenty happy to cover up their dirty secrets in any way possible. Tell everyone it was a mass hallucination, and boom! Problem solved.” 

“We’re not idiots,” Mickey laughs. 

“Well, not all of you,” the Doctor concedes. If he glances at Alexandra, then so be it. 

“Yeah?” Mickey asks. 

The Doctor snaps out of his thought, and blushes when he realizes that his eyes had gone to Alexandra’s behind. He clears his throat, “Present for you, Mickey.” He hands him a disc, “That’s a virus... put it online. It’ll destroy every mention of me; I’ll cease to exist." 

“What a world that you be?” Alexandra mutters causing the Doctor to glare at her playfully. 

“What do you want me to do that for?” Mickey asks. 

“Cause you’re right... I am dangerous. Take Alexandra for example. Her body almost died today because I dragged her into a war zone,” the Doctor admits causing Alexandra to rubs his arm gently with a sad smile. “I don’t want anyone following me.” 

“How can you say that, and then take them with you?” Mickey demands. 

Alexandra holds up a hand, “Yes. It's dangerous. Yes. I almost died today... But I wouldn’t trade that for the world. I’m with him as long as he’ll have me. Forever if he should so choose.” 

The Doctor nods in agreement, “Besides, you could come with us, look after ‘em.” 

“I can’t...” Mickey admits quietly. “This life of yours... it’s just too much, I... I couldn’t do it. Don’t tell Rose I said that.” 

Alexandra smiles widely at him as the Doctor smirks. She nods her head, “Secret is safe with me. Although, I just want you to know that I think you could if you really wanted to.” 

Mickey nods in thanks as Rose and Jackie make their way over to the trio. 

“I’ll get a proper job,” Jackie tells Rose. “I’ll work weekends! I’ll pass my test and if Jim comes round again, I’ll say no! I really will!” 

“I’m not leaving because of you,” Rose assures her. “I’m travelling with my best friend and her boyfriend, that’s all! Then, I’m coming back!” 

“But it’s not safe!” Jackie argues. 

Alexandra holds up a hand, “I’ll be there to protect her, Jackie. Any aliens will have to go through me first.” 

“If you saw it out there... You’d never stay home, “Rose smiles. 

“Amen to that,” Alexandra agrees. 

“Got enough stuff?” The Doctor asks eyeing the rucksack Rose had. 

“Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment,” she shoves her back in his arms, and he rolls his eyes. 

“Now, I’m signing up. You’re stuck with me!” 

“I can take back the offer, and leave with Stardust over here.” 

“But you won’t; too much sexual tension without me.” 

Alexandra and the Doctor look at each other with a blush at that comment. 

Rose turns to Mickey, “Come with us. There’s plenty of room.” 

Mickey quickly looks at the Doctor, who shakes his head, “No chance. He’s ah... a liability; I’m not having him on board.” 

“We’d be dead without him!” Rose snaps. 

“My decision is final,” the Doctor says firmly. 

Rose huffs before turning to Alexandra, “Come on, Ellie! Bat your eyelashes at him.” 

Alexandra shakes her head, “Not this time. Hard enough keeping up with one human, but two? What a nightmare!” 

Rose shakes her head as she looks at Mickey, “Sorry.” 

They kiss briefly before pulling away from each other. Mickey smiles, "Good luck, then.” 

“You still can’t promise me,” Jackie rounds on the Doctor. “What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you, or Alexandra, and my girl is left all alone standing on some moon a million lightyears away? How long do I wait then?” 

The Doctor hugs the rucksack closer to himself as Alexandra lays her head on his shoulder. Neither of them has the answer. 

Rose sighs, "Mum...you’re forgetting that it’s a time machine. I could go travelling round suns and planets and all the away out to the edge of the universe and by the time we get back? Ten seconds would have passed.” Rose smiles. “So, stop worrying. We’ll see you in ten seconds time, yeah?” 

Rose hugs Jackie as the Doctor and Alexandra step into the Tardis. She quickly follows after them. Mickey gives a small wave, and Rose shuts the door. The Tardis dematerializes. Jackie keeps an eye on her watch, "Ten seconds...” 

Jackie walks back to the flats, and Mickey settles back on the dustbin with the newspaper. 


	6. Dalek

Alexandra stepped out of the Tardis dressed in a grey bodysuit with a button front, a blue velvet skirt, black fleece tights, a pair of black converse shoes, and a blue cardigan that fell to just above her knees. Her chest and side were slowly healing as time went on, but she was still having many problems because of the injuries she had sustained, so she was trying to stick to baggier clothing that wouldn’t press too much on her body. 

She pushed her sunglasses up to look around the dimly lit area that seemed to be filled with hundreds of glass display cases. 

“So, what is it? What’s wrong?” Rose asks, coming out of the Tardis beside Alexandra. 

“Don’t know,” the Doctor says, shutting the Tardis doors behind him. “Some kind of signal drawing the Tardis of course...” 

“Where are we?” Rose asks as Alexandra’s glasses slip back down her face. 

“Earth, Utah, North America; about half a mile underground.” 

Alexandra wraps her cardigan tighter around herself, “Thought it felt a little too cold.” 

The Doctor pulls her into his side in response. Rose had to hide a smirk. She’d notice that the two of them had become a lot touchier after Alexandra’s near-death experience. 

“And... when are we?” Rose asks. 

“2012,” the Doctor replies as he eyes a switch. 

“God, that’s so close,” Rose’s eyes widen. “So, I should be... twenty-six, and Alexandra, you’d be... thirty.” 

Alexandra winces, “Ah... the big three oh.” 

Rose snickers, “You’re literally an immortal being, and your age bothers you?” 

“Hey! I’m gonna live forever. I think I’m allowed to be touchy about aging, but not showing it.” 

The Doctor flips the switch he’d been looking at, and light floods the room. The trio’s eyes widen upon seeing all the alien memorabilia strewn throughout the room. 

“Blimey!” Rose exclaims. “It’s a great big museum.” 

“An alien museum,” the Doctor corrects. “Someone’s got a hobby... they must’ve spent a fortune on this; chunks of meteorite, mood dust, that’s the milometer from the Roswell spaceship.” 

Alexandra pulls away from the Doctor to look excitedly at the Roswell milometer. She throws him a blinding smile, “You weren’t just humoring me, then? There really was a spaceship!” 

The Doctor looks offended, “Of course I wasn’t lying!” 

“That’s a bit of Slitheen!” Rose points out, and Alexandra immediately turns with a defensive hiss as if she was expecting to see a living one right there. She also inched back behind the Doctor, which revealed that she was actually quite scared at the thought of actually having to encounter another Slitheen. Rose wrinkles her nose, “That’s a Slitheen’s arm, it’s been stuffed.” 

Alexandra refuses to take her eyes off the Slitheen arm as if it was suddenly going to sprout the rest of its body. Her attention is only drawn away when she hears the soft voice of the Doctor behind her, “Ah, look at you...” 

She turns around to see him looking at a metal head that had a bar looking thingy across the top of the head connecting to the ears. 

“What is it?” Rose asks curiously. 

“An old friend of mine... well, enemy,” the Doctor mutters as Alexandra gently takes his hand with a soft smile. He gives her hand a little squeeze, which she happily returns. “The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit... I’m getting old.” He sighs. 

Alexandra smirks, “Could be worse. You could be over 6,000 years old like my dear, but very old dads.” 

The Doctor chuckles at that. 

Rose looks closer at the metal head, “Is that where the signal is coming from?”

“Nah, it’s stone dead,” the Doctor explains. “The signal’s alive; something’s reaching out, calling for help.” He squeezes Alexandra’s hand a little tighter as he reaches a hand up to touch the glass. 

Alexandra jumps violently as an alarm goes off when his hand makes contact with the glass. Despite the sunglasses on her face, the Doctor and Rose can make out the wild and terrified look on her face. The Doctor was beginning to think that the Slitheen attack had caused the redhead to regress to some of the behaviors she’d probably had after her wings had gotten torn off. He could put two and two together. The Doctor quickly uses their still connected hands to pull Alexandra to his chest, so that her ears would pick up his twin heartbeats rather than the loud alarm. She trembles against his chest as the room fills with guards, who point their guns at the trio. 

The Doctor’s grip on Alexandra tightens. Rose leans over towards the Doctor, “If someone’s collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A.” 

The Doctor sends the guards a pleasant grin as Alexandra stops trembling a little to lift her head out of his chest to look around at the guards. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The trio were escorted down a hall by the large group of guards that had filled the room previously. They came to a stop inside a room that had two men looking over an alien artifact in it. 

“I really wouldn’t hold it like that,” the Doctor spoke up. 

“Shut it, "Goddard told him sternly causing a hiss to rise in the back of Alexandra’s throat. 

“Really though, that’s wrong,” the Doctor reiterated. 

“Is it dangerous?” A boy with brown hair asked worriedly. 

“No,” the Doctor shrugged with arms crossed as Alexandra clung tightly to one of them. “It just looks silly.” The Doctor reached out for the device with the hand that wasn’t attached to the arm Alexandra was holding onto for dear life. He froze when he heard the cocking of several guns. He couldn’t help the smile that came over his face though when Alexandra reached one of her hands behind him to clutch the back of his jacket. He was beginning to realize that, at least in this scenario, it was her way of warning him to think things through. 

The man with the van dyke facial hair smirked at the couple when he caught the gesture. He slowly placed the alien object in the Doctor’s outstretched hand. The Doctor began to delicately stroke the object as Alexandra leaned in closer to him for a closer look. “You just need to be...” he trailed off as the object made a gentle humming noise that caused a smile to grow on Alexandra’s face. “Delicate.” 

“Kinda like with plants?” Alexandra asked curiously as she gently stroked the object as well causing another hum to come from it. 

The Doctor looked down at her softly, “Yeah. Something like that.” 

“It’s a musical instrument,” the man realizes drawing the Doctor’s attention away from the redhead. This caused a prickle of annoyance to run through the Doctor as he would have preferred to watch Alexandra with rapt attention. 

The Doctor nods reluctantly, “And it’s a long way from home.” 

The man stands from his chair, “Here, let me.” Then, he grabs it off the Doctor causing Alexandra to frown and the Doctor to raise an eyebrow cynically. 

The man strokes the instrument, and much harsher tones emit from it. Alexandra winces pressing an ear against the Doctor’s arm. 

“I did say ‘delicate’” the Doctor reminds. “Reacts to the smallest touch. It needs precision.” 

The man touches it more gently, and the gently humming noises emit from it again. The Doctor smiles, “Very good. Quite the expert.” 

“As are you,” the man remarks before tossing the instrument to the side, pulling a horrified gasp from Alexandra. Meanwhile, The Doctor and the brunette boy’s eyes follow the instrument in alarm. “Who exactly are you?” 

The Doctor looks back at the man with disdain, “I’m the Doctor, and who are you?” 

“Like you don’t know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake.” 

“Pretty much sums me up, yeah.” 

Alexandra nods, “He means that literally too. I met him under an apple tree. In the park. In the middle of the night.” 

The Doctor looks at her exasperatedly, “You will take any opportunity at all to bring that up, won’t you?” 

She just smirks up at him. 

“The question is,” the man interrupts, "how did you get in? 53 floors down. With your little cat burglar accomplices.” The man looks between Rose and Alexandra before settling his gaze on the redhead, and looks her up and down slowly several times. Alexandra pulls her cardigan tighter around herself. “Quite a collector yourself, they’re rather pretty. The ginger looks good enough the eat.” 

Alexandra pales as the hand still clutching the Doctor’s jacket tightens. She gulps before steeling her face, so it’s blank. “The ginger will kick you in the balls, and you are most especially not her type.” 

“Or worse...” Rose adds. “She’s gonna smack you in the mouth if you keep calling her ‘she’.” 

The man turns wide eyes to the Doctor, “They’re both English too!” He turns to the brunette boy, “Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy, got you a couple girlfriends.” He turns back to gaze at Alexandra, “Though... I might keep tiny for myself. She’s proven to be quite feisty for such a small, but well-endowed package.” 

Almost like a reflex, the Doctor’s arm comes to wrap around Alexandra’s waist, and she is safely tucked in his side as he sends the man a very harsh glare as his face becomes stony. 

The brunette cuts in, “This is Mr. Henry Van Statten.” 

“Yeah? Who’s he when he’s at home?” Rose asks coldly. She was glad that the Doctor and Alexandra were slowly making progress, but she didn’t want Alexandra to be looked at like a piece of meat for it to happen. 

“Mr. Van Statten owns the internet.” 

“Don’t be stupid. No one owns the internet.” 

Van Statten smirks, “And let’s just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?” 

“So?” the Doctor raises an eyebrow in disdain as Alexandra lays her head on his shoulder, “You're an expert on just about everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up.” 

Van Statten scoffs, “And you claim greater knowledge?” 

“I don’t need to make claims,” the Doctor retorted. “I know how good I am.” He nods to the redhead to his right, “I’m pretty sure Alexandra here has great deal more knowledge than you do” 

Alexandra blushes at the complement. 

“And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage,” Van Statten folds his arms. “What were you doing down there?” 

"You tell me.” 

"The cage contains my one living specimen.” 

Alexandra’s eyes widen in horror. 

“And what's that?’” 

"Like you don't know” 

"Show me.” 

“You wanna see it?” 

“Blimey, you can smell the testosterone,” Rose comments causing Alexandra to snort loudly. 

Alexandra smirks as she looks behind the Doctor to Rose, “You have no idea. Imagine having my nose. All those pheromones. I’m just waiting for them to pull out the ruler next. I think I know who’ll win.” 

The Doctor rolls his eyes, but can’t help the pride that wells up in his chest at knowing that Alexandra thought he was more of a man than this Mr. Van Statten.

“Goddard, inform the Cage. We're heading down,” Van Statten orders. 

Goddard nods. 

Van Statten turns to look at the brunette, “You, English. Look after the girls...” 

Before the brunette could step towards the group the Doctor frowned, “No. He won’t. Alexandra stays with me at all times, and she’s not leaving Rose behind.” 

Van Statten glares at the Doctor, “I’m only willing to let you bring one of the girls. Red can come. Blondie stays with Adam.” 

Alexandra opens her mouth to protest, but Rose just shakes her head with a knowing smirk, “It’s fine, Ellie. You go. Have fun.” 

Alexandra rolls her eyes once she realizes what Rose is trying to. Ever since the Slitheen attack, Rose had gone out of her way to get her and the Doctor in as many situations alone together as she could. She had to admire Roses persistence though. She points at Rose giving her a stern look, “Stay safe. You call if you’re in trouble, alright?” 

“Alright.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Van Statten is leading the Doctor and Alexandra down a long corridor. “We've tried everything. The creatures has... shielded itself but there's definite signs of life inside,” he explained. He enters a code into a panel by a large metal door, and the door opens. 

“Inside? Inside what?” the Doctor asks. 

A man in an orange rubber suit comes up to Van Statten, “Welcome back, sir. I've had to take the power down, the Metaltron is resting.” 

“Metaltron?” 

“Isn’t that a thing from Transformers or something?” Alexandra asks curiously. 

Van Statten smirks, “Though of it myself. Good, isn’t it?” 

The redhead rolls her eyes behind her sunglasses, “Not really no. Pretty basic if you ask me.” 

He ignores her attitude, “Although, I’d much prefer to find out it’s real name.” 

The man in the rubber suit holds out a pair of gloves to the Doctor, “Here, you'd better put these on. The last guy that touched it... burst into flames.” 

Alexandra grips the back of the Doctor’s jacket again as her face pales at the image running its course through her mind. “I won’t touch it then,” the Doctor mutters. 

Goddard smirks. Alexandra looks up at the Doctor, “You go ahead. I’ll stay out here. Nice and safe.” 

The Doctor frowned, but nodded. She had become a lot less keen about meeting new alien species. 

“Go ahead Doctor,” Van Statten smirked. “Impress me.” 

The Doctor pulls away from Alexandra to step into the cage, but she stops him with a hand on his wrist. He looks at her curiously as she hesitates for a second before saying, “Be careful. I won’t be in there to keep you out of trouble.” 

The Doctor gave her a soft smile. The one that Rose would say was reserved solely for the redhead. “Of course,” he assures her. He shot a warning look to Van Statten before stepping into the cage with the door shutting behind him. Alexandra quickly slithered over to the monitor on the wall that showed surveillance from inside the cage. 

“Don’t open that door till we get a result,” Van Statten orders one of the guards causing hiss to rise in Alexandra’s throat. She’d rip the doors off herself if the Doctor was in danger. No guards were gonna stand in her way either. 

Inside the room, the Doctor looks at some of the instruments that the man in the rubber suit was using to torture the alien. Through the darkness, the Doctor sees a blue light giving away the alien's location in the Cage. “Look, I'm sorry about this,” he apologizes to the alien. “Mr. Van Statten might think he's clever, but never mind him. I've come to help. I'm the Doctor.” 

The Doctor’s face falls when white lights appear next to the blue light when the alien speaks with a metallic voice,” Doc-tor.” 

The Doctor stares in complete shock, He was paralyzed in fear, "Impossible.” 

"THE Doctor?” 

The Doctor watches, his eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Lights suddenly come on, illuminating the Dalek. 

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!” 

The Doctor bangs on the door of the cage, rattling it. “Let me out!” 

Alexandra tries to reach over for the control to open the door, but she is yanked back violently by a guard. Pain shoots throughout her chest causing her to go limp in an attempt to get the blinding pain to go away, so she could help the Doctor. 

"Exterminate!” 

“Sir, it’s gonna kill him!” Goddard pleads. 

“It’s talking!” Van Statten argues. 

“You are an enemy of the Daleks! You must be destroyed!” The Dalek waves its gun around helplessly. The Doctor stops looking terrified and his face breaks into a huge grin. 

"It's not working!” The Doctor exclaims. 

The Dalek's eyepiece looks down at its gun as the Doctor laughs manically. "Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Powerless! Look at you. The Great Space Dustbin. How does it feel?” He lunges at the Dalek, and the Dalek strains against its chains as it tries to move away. 

"Keep back!” 

The Doctor is inches from the Dalek, looking straight into its eyepiece. “What for? What're you going to do to me?” 

The Dalek is slient. 

“If you can't kill... then what are you good for, Dalek? What's the point of you?” 

He circles the Dalek. The Dalek follows his progress with its eyepiece. “You're nothing.” 

Alexandra, Van Statten, Goddard and the man in the rubber suit watch the proceedings with rapt attention. 

“I am waiting for orders,” the Dalek answers. 

"What does that mean?” 

"I am a soldier. I was bred to receive orders.” 

“Well you're never gonna get any. Not ever.” 

“I demand orders!” 

The Doctor raises his voice, "They're never gonna come! Your race is dead! You all burnt, all of you. Ten million ships on fire, the entire Dalek race wiped out in one second.” 

Alexandra finally makes the connection. The Time War. This metal pepper pot looking thing was the Timelord’s greatest enemy. 

"You lie!” The Dalek argues. 

"I watched it happen. I MADE it happen!” 

Alexandra gasps softly as a hand raises to her mouth as she gets visions of a beautiful orange planet with a burnt orange sky and a binary star system. It’s on fire, though. Burning. The Doctor had done that. He’d done what he had to do. He’d made the ultimate sacrifice to end the war, to stop the bloodshed. 

"You destroyed us?” The Dalek asks. 

The Doctor's expression changes as he walks away, his back turned on the Dalek. “I had no choice.” 

"And what of the Time Lords?” 

“Dead,” the Doctor replied shortly. “They burnt with you. The end of the last great Time War. Everyone lost.” 

"And the coward survived.” 

The Doctor sneers mockingly,” Oh, and I caught your little signal... help me... poor little thing.” His voice returns to its normal tone, "But there's no one else coming 'cos there's no one else left.” 

The Dalek lowers its eyepiece, “I am alone in the Universe.” 

The Doctor smiles darkly,” Yep.” 

“So are you.” 

The Doctor's smile fades. His thought drift to the redhead waiting patiently for him outside of the cage. She’d never leave him alone. 

"We are the same.” 

The Doctor spins around angrily to face the Dalek. “We're not the same, I'm not...” He stops as realization dawns on him, "No, wait. Maybe we are. You're right, yeah, okay. You've got a point. 'Cos I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve.” As he was speaking, he had made his way over to a set of controls on the far side of the room, and he raises his eyebrows. “Exterminate.” He pulls a lever on the control panel and the Dalek is immediately engulfed by electricity. It starts screaming. 

“Have pity!” The Dalek begs. 

The Doctor sneers at it, "Why should I? You never did.” 

He turns up the voltage. 

Van Statten turns to the guards, “Get him out.” 

“Help me!” the Dalek screams in pain. 

Security burst in and grab the Doctor before he can lunge for the control panel again. Van Statten stalks in to addresses the Dalek, “I saved your life, now talk to me! Goddamn it, talk to me!” 

"You've got to destroy it!” the Doctor warns as he, and Alexandra, much to her chagrin, are dragged away. 

“The last in the Universe. And now I know your name. Dalek. Speak to me, Dalek.” 

The Dalek has gone back to its silence. 

“I am Henry van Statten, now recognize me!” 

Silence. 

Van Statten turns to the man in the rubber suit, "Make it talk again, Simmons.” 

Simmons approaches the Dalek with a greedy look in his eye. 

Van Statten begins to leave the room, "Whatever it takes.”   
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra was pushed into the Doctor’s chest as they entered an elevator. The Doctor gently moved her to his right as he tried to explain to Van Statten, “The metal’s just battle amour. The real Dalek creatures inside.” 

“What does it look like inside?” Van Statten asks curiously. Alexandra inches closer to the Doctor, not liking where that line of questioning could lead. 

“A nightmare,” the Doctor answered darkly. “It’s a mutation. The Dalek race was genetically engineered. Every single emotion was removed except hate.” 

“Genetically engineered by whom?” 

“By a genius, Van Statten. By a man who was king of his own little world. You’d like him,” the Doctor point out. 

Alexandra’s head pounded as a voice whispered, “Davros...” in the back of her mind. 

“It’s been on Earth for over fifty years,” Goddard told him. “Sold at private auction, moving from one collection to another. Why would it be a threat now?” 

“Because I’m here,” the Doctor shrugged. “How did it get to Earth? Does anyone know?” 

“The records say it came from the sky like a meteorite. It fell to Earth on the Ascension Islands. Burnt in its cradle for three days before anybody could get near it and all that time it was screaming. It must have gone insane.” 

“It must’ve fallen through time.” The Doctor swallowed thickly. “The only survivor.” 

Alexandra gripped his hand tightly as she saw what looked like a rift. It was a swirling mix of blue and purple. It drew her in, but before she could get close enough the image faded as if it had never been there. Alexandra shook her head as it pounded harder. 

“You talked about a war?” Van Statten asked earning a hiss from the redhead. 

The Doctor nodded as terrible memories filled his head as well as Alexandra’s. “The Time War. The final battle between my people and the Dalek race.” 

“But you survived too?” 

“Not by choice.” 

“This means that the Dalek isn’t the only alien on Earth,” Van Statten remarked. Alexandra looked at the Doctor in panic as his own blood ran cold. “Doctor, there’s you. The only one of your kind in existence.” 

The elevator dinged as it opened, and Alexandra screamed as she was ripped away from the Doctor and dragged in the opposite direction. He fought against the guards holding him back like a crazed animal trying to get away, and rescue Alexandra in the process. It was to no avail, though. There were too many guards dragging them in different directions. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

Alexandra hissed and shook at the guard she was left with. She glanced down at her right hand, which was handcuffed to a chair. She glanced at the guard, and knocked an alien artifact off the table in front of her. The guard rolled his eyes as he bent down to pick it up, which he really shouldn’t have done. This move allowed for Alexandra to punch him in the nose, grab his arm, and pull it tight between her legs while her feet pushed the rest of his body away. The guard shouted in pain as Alexandra bent over slightly in the chair. “Keyssss,” She hissed lowly, her eyes glowing golden as anger swirled within her. The guard pulled out the keys with his free hand, and held them up for her. She grabbed them, and placed them safely in her lap before she pulled a foot back and kicked the guard in the face, knocking him out. 

She unlocked the handcuffs, and slipped out of the room unnoticed. She walked along the corridor trying to follow that thread that felt like the Doctor. It seemed to pull every once in a while, like he needed her. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what torture he was being put through. She winced as the adrenaline wore off, and she became aware of the tightness and burning in her chest. 

She sighed as she arrived back at the cage. However, she froze when an alarm blared loudly. 

“CONDITION RED! CONDITION RED! I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL!” A guard shouted as Alexandra ran towards Rose as she exited the cage. 

She grabbed the blonde by the shoulders, “What did you do?” 

“All I did was touch it!” Rose exclaims. 

Whatever else Rose said drifted out of Alexandra as she heard the Doctor say, “You’ve got to keep it in that cell!” to her right. Immediately, she sprinted over to the monitor showing the feed from Van Statten’s office. 

“Doctor, it's my fault, “Rose admits. 

“I’ve sealed the compartment,” one of the guards reported. “It can’t get out, that locks got a billion combinations.” 

Alexandra rolled her eyes, “A Dalek is a genius though. It can calculate all of the billion combinations in one second flat. It won’t work.” Her head throbbed as she threw a hand over her mouth, knowing that she shouldn’t have any knowledge of that fact in the first place. 

There was the sound of an electronic beep as the door opened to reveal the Dalek. Alexandra pushed Rose towards the corridor, “It’s through!” 

The guards raised their guns, “Open fire!” 

“Don’t shoot it,” Van Statten ordered. “I want it unharmed.” 

“Oh! Shut Up!” Alexandra yelled. 

The Doctor smirked, “Fine then! Plan B.” He focused on Alexandra’s face on the monitor in Van Statten’s office, “Stardust! Get you and Rose out of there!” 

Alexandra nodded firmly, “Don’t have to tell me twice!” She began pulling Rose down the corridor as a female guard maneuvered her way in front of the redhead, the blonde, and the brunette boy that was following them. 

“You three, with me!” the guard ordered resulting in an eyeroll from Alexandra. She only took orders from one person, and this guard was most definitely not them. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The quartet made it to a stairwell. “Stairs!” Rose laughed. “That’s more like it. It hasn’t got legs. It’s stuck!” Rose pulled on Alexandra’s arm as they made their way up the stairs. 

Alexandra glanced over her shoulder, “Rose. I don’t think stairs will stop it.” 

Rose looks at her in confusion, “Why not?” 

“A snake doesn’t have legs, and it can make it up a set of stairs. I don’t think it’s too far of leap to think that the Dalek or whatever it's called has some way of getting up.” The redhead wrings her hands, “You didn’t see the Doctor’s reaction to it. He was terrified.” 

Rose pales as they look down at the Dalek at the entrance of the stairwell. Adam scoffs, “Great big alien death machine defeated by a flight of stairs.” 

Alexandra cringed as she began pulling Rose further up the stairs. The guard, Demaggio, aimed her gun at the Dalek, “Now you listen to me. I demand that you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate then I can guarantee that Mister Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you, and maybe that was wrong, but people have died, and that stops right now. The killing stops. Have you got that? I demand that you surrender. Is that clear?” 

“Elevate,” the Dalek says. 

Alexandra’s eyes widen behind her sunglasses as Rose gasps. Alexandra’s shoots up the stairs, dragging Rose behind her. She looked like a scared animal, trying to get as far away from a predator as possible. 

“Adam, get them out of here!” Demaggio ordered. 

Rose pulls violently on Alexandra’s arm to get her to pause briefly, “Come with us! You can’t stop it!” 

“Someone’s got to try,” Demaggio replied. “Now, get out! Don’t look back. Just run.” 

Alexandra didn’t need to be told twice as she forced Rose and Adam in front of her, and took to running behind them. The coffee that she had drank that morning rose in her throat as the sounds of Demaggio’s screams reached her sensitive ears. She began to wheeze as her chest tightened. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The trio ran like their lives depended on it, which in a way it did. Alexandra was wheezing heavily as they reached a loading bay filled with guns pointed at them. Alexandra was happy to take a moment break as she gripped her chest to try and combat the tightness and pain shooting through it. A guard jumped up when they entered, “Hold your fire! You three, get the hell out of here!” 

Alexandra groaned as she forced herself to keep up with Rose and Adam. Rose stopped at the other side of the loading bay, and looked at Alexandra, “It was looking at us.” 

“Yeah? Cause it wanted to slaughter you two!” Adam replied. 

Rose shook her head, “No. It was looking between her and me. Like it knew us? I mean I get it knowing me, but you? It never saw you.” 

“I... don’t know... Rose,” Alexandra breathed. 

Adam shakes his head in exasperation, “So? It’s just a sort of metal eye thing. It’s looking all around.” 

Alexandra shakes her head, “Just run.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor winced hearing the screams of the guards as they were exterminated by the Dalek. 

“Perhaps it’s time for a new strategy?” Van Statten spoke up. “Maybe we should consider abandoning this place.” 

“Except there’s no power to the helipad, sir,” Goddard said. “We can’t get out.” 

The Doctor thought for a second, “You said we could seal the vault.” 

Van Statten nodded, “It was designed to be a bunker in the event of nuclear war. Steel bulkheads.” 

“There’s not enough power,” Goddard reminded. “Those bulkheads are massive.” 

“We’ve got emergency power,” the Doctor argued. “We can re-route that to the bulkhead doors.” 

“We’d have to bypass the security codes. That would take a computer genius.” 

“Good thing you’ve got me,” Van Statten told her. 

The Doctor glanced at him, “You want to help?” 

“I don’t want to die, Doctor,” Van Statten retorted. “Simple as that, and nobody knows this software better than me.” 

“Sir,” Goddard spoke up. 

The Doctor turned to Goddard, who was staring at the monitor, which was now showing the Dalek. “I will speak only to the Doctor.” 

“You’re going to get rusty,” the Doctor commented seeing the water drip off it. 

“I fed off the DNA of Rose Tyler. Extrapolating the biomass of a time traveler regenerated me.” 

“What’s your next trick?” 

“I have been searching for the Daleks.” 

“Yeah, I saw. Downloading the internet. What did you find?” 

“I scanned your satellites and radio telescopes.” 

“And?” 

“Nothing. Where shall I get my orders now?” 

“You’re just a soldier without commands.” 

“Then I shall follow the primary order, the Dalek instinct to destroy, to conquer.” 

“What for?” the Doctor wondered. “What’s the point? Don’t you see it’s all gone? Everything you were, everything you stood for.” 

“Then what shall I do?” 

The Doctor’s eyes narrowed as grief and rage washed over him, “Alright... if you want orders.” He straightens. “Follow this one: kill yourself,” he sneers. 

“The Daleks must survive!” 

“The Daleks have failed,” the Doctor snaps. “Why don’t you finish the job and make the Daleks extinct? Rid the universe of your filth! Why don’t you just die?!” 

The Dalek is silent for a moment, before it delivers the killing blow. “You would make a good Dalek.” Then, the screen goes black. 

The Doctor stares at the screen in shock as he realizes just how similar to the Daleks he has become. “Seal the vault,” he commanded. 

“I can leech power off the ground defenses, feed it to the bulkheads. God, it’s been years since I had to work this fast,” Van Statten remarks as he types away on a keyboard. 

“Are you enjoying this?” the Doctor asks in exasperation. 

“Doctor,” Goddard said. He turned to her, and she nodded to the display of the layout of the vault. “Alexandra and Rose are still down there.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra rolled her eyes when she heard “Back in Time” by Huey Lewis and the News sound from her phone. She dug it out, and brought it to her ear. “Really not a good time, Doc,” she wheezes. 

“Where are you?” He demands. 

She glanced at the yellow number on the wall, “Level 49.” 

“You’ve got to keep moving. The vault’s being sealed off up at level 46.” 

Alexandra stumbled slightly as her mind processed that information. She looked at the back of Rose and Adam, who were several feet in front of her. Her eyes closed for a split second as she realized she wasn’t gonna make it. “Can’t you stop them closing?” she asked quietly. 

“I’m the one who’s closing them. I can’t wait and I can’t help you.” Alexandra’s face became a deathly white. “Now for God’s sake...run!” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The trio rounds the corner of a long corridor on level 46, Alexandra raises her phone to her ear, “We’re almost there, just give us two ticks.” 

“I’m sorry,” the Doctor said as an alarm started blaring, and Alexandra tried to push her short legs to work a little faster. 

Rose manages to keep up with Adam, but Alexandra’s chest is protesting against every breath, and her vision blurs dangerously as she watches them roll under the door. The door that closes right as she reaches it. 

The redhead breaths heavily as she leans her back against the door to see the Dalek approaching from the end of the hall. 

In Van Statten’s offices, the Doctor leaps out of his chair, “Alexandra! Alexandra, where are you? Did you make it?” 

He hears her labored breathing as she lifts the phone to her ear again, “No... I was a bit slow. Couldn’t....couldn’t breathe.” 

The Doctor’s looks horrified, “Stardust... Alexandra I-” 

She’s quick to cut him off, “It’s not your fault. I chose to come with you. I knew the risks. Really began to understand them recently. Just... remember that, okay? It’s not your fault. And... I suppose if it’s my last chance to say it... I-” She paused before shaking her head. She couldn’t tell him that she loved him. That would destroy him. He couldn’t lose her if he knew. She closed her eyes, “I want to thank you. You... you gave me my wings back...I wouldn’t have missed that for anything.” 

Alexandra opens her eyes to give the Dalek in front of her a sneer. It raises its gun at her, “Exterminate.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor violently rips the earpiece out as he comes to terms with what just happened. Her words play over and over in his mind as flashes of her face crop up at lightning speed. His chest tightens when he realizes that he’d never told her that he...he was sure she knew though. He showed it plenty enough. 

“I killed her," He said softly. 

“I’m sorry,” Van Statten said, but it just seemed to set the Doctor on edge. 

“I said I’d look after her. Protect her. She was only here because of me, and you’re sorry!” He yelled coming to tower over Van Statten. His eyes darken, “I could’ve killed that Dalek in its cell, but you stopped me.” 

“It was the prize of my collection!” Van Statten argued. 

“Your collection!” the Doctor thundered. “But was is worth it? Worth all those men’s deaths? Worth Alexandra? Worth my Stardust?” He glared at the man across from him, “Let me tell you something, Van Statten. Mankind goes into space to explore, to be part of something greater.” 

“Exactly! I just wanted to touch the stars” 

The Doctor sneers contemptuously, full of hate, “You just want to drag the stars down and stick them underground underneath tons of sand and dirt. And label them. You're about as far from the stars as you can get!” The Doctor's face, contorted with fury suddenly softens into a sad, grief-stricken expression, "And you took her down with you.” He stares off into space, “You took someone that was meant for so much more. Something greater. And took her down with you.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra opened her eyes weakly to see the Dalek in front of her. She looks at is cautiously, “If you’re going to kill me, then get it over with. No need to prolong it.” 

“I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose,” the Dalek threatens. 

She nods, “So I’ve heard...and yet here I am. Alive.” She cocks her head curiously as she gets close to its eyes stalk. “What are you waiting for?” 

“You are not afraid,” the Dalek comments. 

Alexandra smirks, “Not of you. No.” 

“Why not?” the Dalek screams angrily. 

“Because I know who is waiting for you. Your worst nightmare has a large soft spot for me, and he thinks you killed me.” 

Alexandra doesn’t even flinch as the Dalek shoots at the wall on either side of her. 

The Dalek shakes, “Rose Tyler gave me life. What else has she given me? I am contaminated!” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Adam and Rose step out of the lift and into Van Statten’s office. Rose has tears rolling down her cheeks as the Doctor rounds on them both, “You two were quick on your feet leaving Alexandra behind!” 

“I’m not the one who sealed the vault!” Adam argues as Rose sobs. 

The monitor on the wall screeches to life to reveal Alexandra standing next to the Dalek. There was a sizeable red spot spreading across the chest of her grey shirt, but she didn’t seem bothered at all. In fact, she raised an eyebrow at the camera. 

The Doctor gasps in relief, “You’re alive!” 

The redhead shrugs, “Hard to get rid of me.” 

“I thought you were dead.” 

Her face softens, “I know. I’m sorry.” 

“Open the bulkhead!” the Dalek orders. 

“You can’t!” Van Statten exclaimed, but all he got in return was a harsh glare from the Doctor. 

“What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?” the Dalek asks. 

The Doctor’s eyes widen at the Dalek’s words, but Alexandra doesn’t seem surprised in the least. The redhead nods towards the door, “Go on, sweethearts. Open it. It got a bit more of Rose than it bargained for.” 

The Doctor looks at everyone in the room, “I killed her once.” He walks over to the computer, “I can’t do it again.” He hit the return key, and the bulkhead slowly lifted, and the monitor turned off. 

Van Statten looks at the Doctor in desperation, “What do we do now? You bleeding heart, what the hell do we do?” 

The Doctor stares at him wordlessly. He was still processing that Alexandra was still in fact alive. 

“Kill it when it gets here,” Adam suggested. 

“All the guns are useless, and the alien weapons are in the vault,” Goddard reminded. 

“Only the catalogued ones.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra eyed the Dalek curiously as the stood in the lift on the way up to Van Statten’s office. “What do you plan to do exactly when we get there? Kill them? You couldn’t kill me? What makes you think you’ll be able to kill them?” 

“But why not?” the Dalek asks. “Why are you alive?” 

The redhead shrugs, “I don’t know. Believe me...I ask myself that every day, or I did. Then, I met the Doctor. He gave me a purpose.” 

“My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?” 

“Something new. Like me.” 

The lift doors open, and she looks warningly at the room, “Don’t do anything hasty. It’s beginning to question itself. Let’s all stay on its good side. If it has one.” 

“Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?” the Dalek said as it rolled over to the American. 

The man backs against the wall in terror, “I wanted to help you, I just... I don't know. I...I was just trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you... I wanted you better, I'm sorry.” 

The Dalek still advances, backing him against the wall. 

"I'm so sorry! I swear! I just wanted you to talk!” 

“Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate! “ 

Rose rushes over to where Alexandra was standing next to the Dalek, ”Don't do it! Don't kill him!” 

The Dalek spins to face her. Rose looks right into its eyepiece, ”You don't have to do this anymore. There must be something else. Not just killing... what else is there? What d'you want?” 

The Dalek turns back to Van Statten. Then back to Rose and Alexandra. “I want freedom.” 

Rose and Alexandra share a surprised look. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

Alexandra, Rose, and the Dalek are on level one in the base. The Dalek fires its death ray at the ceiling, making a hole through which the sunlight floods, shining on the Dalek. 

“You're out,” Rose told the Dalek softly, "You made it.” She smiles, “Never thought I'd see the sunlight again.” 

“How... does... it... feel?” the Dalek asks curiously. 

Before the astonished girls, the Dalek opens up its casing to reveal the mutated creature inside. It stretches its feelers out to the sunlight. They gaze at it until a voice behind them makes them jump, “Get out of the way.” 

They turn to see the Doctor, who was holding a gun and pointing it at the Dalek. Rose quickly runs over to him, but Alexandra just stares at him in shock. She does not move. 

“Stardust, get out of the way, now!” He orders. 

She narrows her serpentine eyes at him, “No. I’m not gonna let you become this.” 

“That thing killed hundreds of people.” 

“It's not the one pointing the gun at me, now is it?” 

“I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left,” the Doctor explains. 

Alexandra shakes her head softly, “Sweethearts, look at it.” She stands aside and gestures to the Dalek who feeling the sunlight. 

The Doctor looks at the Dalek in confusion, “What's it doing?” 

“It's the sunlight. Sweethearts...that’s all it wants. It wants to feel the sunlight.” 

“But it can't...” 

“It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill me, it's changing. What about you, Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?” 

That seems to snap the Doctor out of his hate filled rage, and he finally lowers the gun. He looks completely lost. He’s close to tears when he says, “I couldn't...I wasn't...” He looks at the Dalek, then back at Alexandra. “Oh, Stardust. They're all dead.” 

She nods, “I know, but killing this Dalek won’t bring them back.” 

“Why do we survive?” the Dalek asked. 

"I don't know,” the Doctor answers sadly. 

"I am the last of the Daleks.” 

"You're not even that. Rose did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA. Then...then, you let Alexandra get in your head. You're mutating.” 

“Into what?” 

"Something new. I'm sorry.” 

Alexandra finally steps away from the Dalek, and makes her way over to the Doctor. 

Rose looks at him curiously, "Isn't that better?” 

"Not for a Dalek.” 

"I can feel so many ideas. So much darkness... Rose... give me orders! Order me to die,” the Dalek requests as it closes its eye. 

The Doctor and Alexandra look from the Dalek to Rose. 

Rose shakes her head, “I can't do that.” 

“This is not life. This is sickness.” 

Rose's face contorts with pity and disgust. 

“I shall not be like you. Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!” 

There is silence for a moment before Rose orders, “Do it.” 

“Are you frightened, Rose Tyler?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Are you frightened, Alexandra Sm-Crowley?” 

Alexandra frowns as the Dalek messes up her last name, but nods, “Yeah.” 

“So am I. Exterminate.” 

The Dalek replaces its armor. It levitates into the air and the golden knobs detach themselves to surround the Dalek in a perfect sphere. The Dalek glows briefly, and then explodes inside the sphere, vanishing into nothing. 

The Doctor stares at the place where it disappeared, stunned. Alexandra leans her head against his right shoulder, and he quickly engulfs her in his arms. Rose smiles sadly at the two immortals. 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

The trio stands by the TARDIS. The Doctor has his hand on it, looking up at it pensively. "Little piece of home. Better than nothing,” he remarks sadly. 

Alexandra lays a hand on his shoulder with a small smile. 

“Is that the end of it? The Time War?” Rose asks. 

“I'm the only one left. I win. How about that.” 

"The Dalek survived... maybe some of your people did too,” Rose tries to console him. 

"I'd know. In here,” he gestures to his head. Feels like there's no one.” He glances at the redhead watching him sadly. “Well... no one except Stardust here.” 

The redhead smiles, “I’ll stay as long as you want me to.” 

“I’d like that.” 

Rose clears her throat, “Well then, good thing I'm not going anywhere either.” 

Adam jogs up to them, ”We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared... they're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement! Like it never existed!” 

Rose nods in approval, "About time.” 

“I'll have to go back home.” 

"Better hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at 1500 hours,” the Doctor informs him. 

"Adam was saying that all his life he's wanted to see the stars...” Rose hints. 

"Tell him to go and stand outside, then.” 

“He's all on his own, Doctor. And he did help.” 

The Doctor put an arm around Alexandra’s shoulders, “He left her down there!” 

“So did you!” 

Alexandra holds up a hand, “Alright, that’s enough of that. Nobody's fault except me and my short legs.” 

“What're you talking about? We've got to leave!” Adam reminds. 

The Doctor eyes Rose, “He's a bit pretty.” 

"I hadn't noticed,” Rose comments innocently. 

Alexandra nods as she looks at the Doctor softly, “I hadn’t either. I was more focused on someone else.” 

The Doctor’s ears burn a red color before he glances at Rose skeptically, and turns to the Tardis, “On your own head.” 

"What're you doing? She said 'cement'. She wasn't joking, we're going to get sealed in.” Adam looks at the trio in confusion as they disappear into the TARDIS, leaving him standing outside. 

"Doctor? What're you doing standing inside a box? Rose?” He peers through the doors and steps inside. The engines start up and the TARDIS dematerializes. 


	7. The Long Game

Alexandra watched as the Doctor’s hands shook as he finished restitching the large lesion on her chest that had reopened after pinning a guard to the floor at Van Statten’s museum. She gently put a hand on his cheek to get him to look at her, “It’s not your fault. I’m fine. Really.” 

He pulls her hand off his face, “No. You’re not, and it is my fault. I took you both there.” 

Alexandra narrows her slitted eyes at him, "It's not that...” She sighs, "Well... it is, but its more than that. There’s something else.” 

He looks at her somberly, and she suddenly remembers the last time she saw that look. Alexandra is thrown back to the cabinet room when the Doctor’s worried face entered her field of vision, and he seemed to be surrounded by light. Her eyes widen as she realizes that it wasn’t any light, and it wasn’t even his aura. 

It...it was the love he’d been emitting. She'd never really been good at picking up on feelings of love from others. I mean sure she knew love when she saw it, but she didn't quite have her father's ability to feel it. Although, maybe it was just that. Instead of feeling it, she saw it.

Her hands flew to the side of his face, and she looked at him with wide eyes as the light around him came back into being as she focused on it. It seemed to reach out for her. 

Alexandra focuses back on his bright blue eyes as her face softened, “Oh.” 

The Doctor looks at her in confusion, “What?” 

She smirks before leans in and kisses him. He immediately kisses back, and Alexandra gasps against his lips as the the full force of his love for her washes over her. It was like a tidal wave of an entire galaxy’s worth of love. She was practically drowning in it. 

She winced when one of his large hands came to rest against her right side, and pulled away. She gave him an apologetic look, "As much as I’d love to continue this, and... believe me I really would. I don’t think my body is quite up for that yet.” She glanced at the shower that was attached to the med bay, "Also, I really want a shower.” 

The Doctor chuckles, “You’re just a big tease, aren’t you?” 

Alexandra smirks as she softly pecks his lips again, “Well, I am part demon. Also, don’t let my angelic father’s appearance fool you. He can be quite a bastard, so maybe I get it from him.” 

He rolled his eyes as he helped her off the medical bed, “Go shower. I have to go make sure Adam isn’t destroying the place.” 

The redhead grimaced, “There’s something off about him. I can’t tell what, but I can just feel it.” 

The Doctor nods, “I know. I feel it to.” 

The share a concerned look before they part ways. One heading to the console room, and the other towards a very inviting looking shower. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra could almost see the annoyance rolling off the Doctor when she got back from her shower. It had made the room smell like it was crackling with electricity, or maybe it was the dark glare he was giving the young man that gave it away. Either way it shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise that he landed the Tardis almost the second he saw her enter the console room, and shot for the door. 

She shook her head, but followed him out, and got a blast of hot humid air in her face. She sighed happily at the feeling of the heat, and almost thought about taking off her jean jacket, but decided against it when she remembered the way Adam’s eyes almost seemed locked onto her breasts when she’d entered the console room. The only person she wanted looking at the was... well... the Doctor, and he’d gotten quite the eyeful already when he had to patch up her chest. Instead, she settled on pulling her long red curls into a ponytail. 

Rose joined her and the Doctor outside of the Tardis, and quickly shut the door. 

“So, it’s two hundred thousand, and it’s a spaceship. No, wait a minute,” he paused. “Space station, and er, go and try that gate over there.” Both girls looked at a gate across the large room. He looks at Rose, “Off you go.” 

“Two hundred thousand?” Rose asks for clarification. 

“Two hundred thousand.” 

“Kay.” 

The Doctor grins and raises his eyebrows as Rose giggles. 

Alexandra looked between the Doctor and Rose curiously, feeling as if she’d missed something. Rose popped her head back into the Tardis to pull Adam out, and his jaw dropped quickly. The redhead shook her head at the smug look on the Doctor’s face as she moved towards him. 

“Oh my god,” Adam breathed. 

“Don’t worry you’ll get used to it,” Rose told him. 

“Where are we?” 

“Good question. Let’s see,” Rose pretended to study the room around them. “So, er, judging by the architecture, I’d say we’re around the year two hundred thousand. If you listen...engines. We’re on some sort of space station. Yeah, definitely a space station. It’s a bit warm in here. Not that Ellie minds. They could turn the heating down a little though. Tell you what...” She turns to the gate to their right,” Let’s try that gate. Come on!” 

As Rose and Adam wandered off, the Doctor moved to follow, but noticed Alexandra looking around the room with a grimace. “You coming, Stardust?” he asked. 

She shook her head as she focused on him, “Oh, yeah. Just something feels off.” 

The Doctor looked at her curiously as he glanced around, “Feels fine to me. Maybe it’s just that bad feeling you have about Adam?” 

She nods as she glances around the room before grabbing onto his right hand, “Maybe.” 

Alexandra goes to gently pull him in the direction that Rose and Adam went, but he just tugs her back. She looks at him curiously as he gives her a serious look, "You'll be alright. Nothing is gonna get you. Not this time. Not on my watch.” 

She smiles softly at him, “I know. Now, come on. We better catch up, or else they’ll think we’re doing something far dirtier than talking.” 

He just pulls her a little closer, tucking her against his chest. “Let them,” he remarks before leaning down to kiss her softly. 

She kisses back, but giggles as she pulls away, “Seriously, we should catch up.” 

The Doctor huffs as he allows himself to be dragged through the gate, and into an observatory style room with a large window. The redhead’s grin dropped as she saw the rather ugly looking Earth below them. 

“I’ll let the Doctor describe this, “Rose said as the duo came to stop to Adam. She had to hold in a squeal as she saw the Doctor’s arm find its way around Alexandra’s waist, and the way she was looking up at him with a loving expectation on her face. As if the redhead could hardly wait to hear the Doctor ramble off about anything and everything. 

“The Fourth great and bountiful Human Empire,” the Doctor began. “And there it is, planet Earth at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population ninety-six billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, and a million species, with mankind right in the middle.” 

A loud band sounded behind them causing Alexandra to jump further into the Doctor’s side, and clutch both the back of his jacket and the front of his green jumper. She turns to see Adam passed out on the ground, but Rose and the Doctor remain looking at the Earth. 

“He’s your boyfriend,” the Doctor commented. 

“Not anymore,” Rose remarked. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

”Come on, Adam!” the Doctor encouraged as the quartet walked around the space station now that the man had regained consciousness. He threw an arm around the young man while his other held tightly onto Alexandra’s as she looked around curiously. “Open your mind. You’re gonna like this. Fantastic period of history. The human at its most intelligent, culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners...” 

“Out of the way!” a random man shouted as he bumped into Alexandra, which caused a hiss to rise in her throat as the room exploded with movement around them. A food stall opened, and people rushed past to form a line. 

“One at a time...” A chef before them called as other stall keepers began to take orders. “Oi! You, mate! Stop pushing. Get back. I said back!” 

Alexandra seemed to gravitate closer to the Doctor’s side as Rose looked back at him with a grimace, “Fine cuisine?” 

“My watch must be wrong, "The Doctor paused as he linked arms with Alexandra, so that he could pull the sleeve of his jacket back to check his watch. “No, it's fine... weird.” 

“Guess your history’s not as good as you thought it was,” Rose teased. 

“My history’s perfect,” the Doctor argues. 

Alexandra nods, “it feels like two hundred thousand, but it's...” 

The Doctor looks at her curiously as she shivers, “What? What’s wrong?” 

She shook her head, "I don’t know. It just feels...slow.” 

“They’re all human,” Adam pointed out. “What about the millions of planets? The millions of species? Where are they?” 

“Good question,” the Doctor praised. “Actually, that is a good question.” He threw an arm around Adam’s shoulders again, “Adam, me old mate, you must be starving.” 

“No, I’m just a bit time sick.” 

Alexandra snorts, "No. You’re not really time sick till your dad is teaching you how to stop time, which involves stopping and starting it several times in a row. Now, that... that’s time sickness right there.” 

The other three looks at the redhead in shock at her admittance that she could stop time as well as start it. She rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses, “Really? I’m a supernatural being. The laws of physics bend to my will.” 

The Doctor shakes his head to clear away the shocked expression before looking at Adam, “You just need a bit of grub.” He leaned towards the chef, “Oi, mate, how much for a Cronk burger?” Behind him, Alexandra grimaced at the name. 

“Two credits twenty, sweetheart,” the chef answered before gesturing to the line, “Now, join the queue.” 

“Money. We need money, "the Doctor says as he quickly turns to take hold of Alexandra’s hand as she went to snap the money they needed into existence. “Not that kind of money,” he reminds her as he pulls her over to a cash point with the two humans following after them. “Have to use a cash point.” He pointed the sonic at the machine, and it distributed what looked like a metal strip. He took it and handed it to Adam, “There you go, pocket money. Don’t spend it all on sweets.” The Doctor didn’t miss excited look on Alexandra’s face at the mention of sweets. 

However, he pulled her off with him, but Adam asked, “How does it work?” 

The doctor turned around in annoyance, “Go and find out! Stop nagging me! The things is, Adam, time travels like visiting Paris. You can’t just read the guide book; you’ve got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double, and end up kissing complete strangers.” 

Alexandra and Rose looked at him in amusement while Adam just stared at him. The Doctor looked at Alexandra and glanced down at her lips, “... or is that just me?” He turned back to Adam, “Stop asking questions, go on, do it!” He waved the boy off, and Rose began to go follow the young man, “Off you go then! Your First date.” 

Alexandra giggled into his shoulder causing a grin to come over his face as Rose turned back. She pointed warningly at him, “You’re going to get a smack you are, and I wouldn’t be talking if I were you.” 

Alexandra and the Doctor smiled at each other as Rose walked off. Alexandra wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him down to peck his lips softly, “First date. I like the sound of that. Never had one of those before.” 

“Better make it a good one then,” the Doctor commented as he wound his arms around her waist and kissed her more passionately. 

“Oh, you better.” Alexandra leaned back, “It better be fantastic.” She looks around till she sees two women conversing across the room. She nods towards them, "Shall we do a little investigating?” 

He grinned as he gently took her hand, and led her over to the two women, “Er... this is gonna sound daft, but can you tell me where we are?” 

“Floor 139...” the black woman of the pair answered looking at him in confusion before gesturing to where it was written largely on the wall, “Could they write it any bigger?” 

Alexandra nods, “Wouldn’t surprise me if they did. Could’ve made it a different color than the wall though... would’ve stuck out a bit more.” 

The girls stared at her like she was standing there naked. 

Alexandra cleared her throat as she caught drift of a stray thought of the Doctor’s telling her that that question had, in fact, been rhetorical. He didn’t seem to mind though as he just watched her with a small smile as she blushed in embarrassment. He found the way the despite having lived amongst human for her entire life, she still wasn’t quite... with it very amusing. She still slipped up from time to time, and would same something that made absolutely no sense to them...sometimes they didn’t even make sense to him, but it was captivating to him nonetheless. Besides, he was sure that there was aspects of his technobabble that made no sense to her. 

The Doctor turned his head back to the two women, “Floor 139 of what?” 

“Must’ve been a hell of a party,” the woman from before remarked, eyeing him. 

Alexandra scoffs as her hand rubs against her chest where her injury seemed to ache, “I wish.” 

“You’re on satellite five,” the other young woman, who was a brunette, explained with a kind smile. 

“What's satellite five?” The Doctor and Alexandra asked in unison with matching confused expressions. 

“Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?” the first woman scoffed. 

“Look at me, I’m stupid,” the Doctor grinned. 

“He really is. Got me and my friend back home a year late,” Alexandra added. 

The Doctor looks at her with a mock glare, “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” 

She smiles softly at him, “Not for thousands of years.” 

He smiled at the reminder that she would really be around as long as he would. His stardust wasn’t a human that withered and decayed. Her ivory skin would stay as smooth as it was now. Not that it mattered to him if she stayed young. He couldn’t exactly guarantee that he would, so why should he think less of her if she did age a little more. 

“Hang on, wait a minute, are you a test?” the brunette asked, looking between the duo that was very clearly deeply in love with each other if the way they were staring at each other was anything to go by. “Some sort of management test kind of thing?” 

“You’ve got us,” the Doctor nodded, as he took out his psychic paper, which was still very much blank to Alexandra’s eyes. “Well done. You’re too clever for me.” 

“We were warned about this in basic training,” the brunette turned to her friend, “All workers have to be well versed in company promotion.” 

“Right,” the first woman replied, turning to the Doctor and Alexandra, confidently, “Fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to floor 500, I’ll do anything.” 

Alexandra couldn’t help the hiss that rose in the back of her throat as the woman looked the Doctor up and down like he was a piece of meat. The Doctor pressed a hand to the small of her back in reassurance, and she hesitantly let the hiss die in her throat. 

“Why, what happens on floor 500?” the Doctor asked. 

“The walls are made of gold. And you should know...Mr. Management.” 

Alexandra sneered at the flirting, “You sound so sure.” 

“Why shouldn’t I be?” 

Alexandra stepped closer to the woman, “It could just as easily be fool’s gold. Much less valuable.” She stiffened as a sudden chill came over her. It felt as if her body was being encased in ice, and she glanced back at the Doctor in concern, “Did you feel that?” 

“Feel what?” The Doctor asked looking at her in matched concern as he watched her glance calculatingly around the room as if looking for a threat. 

Her shoulders dropped as she shook her head, “I thought I felt... never mind. Probably my mind just getting away from me.” 

The first woman eyed her in confusion before turning back to the Doctor. “So... this is what we do,” she walked over to some screens that had bits of different news stories playing on them, “Latest news... sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day... spacelane 37 closed by sunspot activity, and over on the white serpent channel, the Face of Boe has just announced he’s pregnant.” 

Alexandra smiles, “Good for him.” 

“I get it,” the Doctor responds. “You broadcast the news.” 

“We are the news,” the first woman corrects. “We’re the journalists. We write it, package it, and sell it.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A loud alarm sounded suddenly resulting in a large jolt from Alexandra as the room began to clear. The Doctor turned to where Rose and Adam were sitting, “Oi!” 

Their heads snapped in his direction, “Mutt and Jeff! Over here!” 

Rose smiled and quickly joins them standing next to the two ladies, and hands Alexandra a to go cup, “Try it! It’s called a zaffic, its sort of like a slush puppy. I tried to get a fruity flavor for you.” 

The redhead eyes the cup hesitantly before taking a small sip, and humming happily. She quickly tries to get the Doctor to take a sip, “It’s banana! You’ll like it.” 

As he humors her by taking a sip, Alexandra catches sight of Adam slipping Rose’s phone into his pocket. Her good mood goes out the window when she realizes that there is definitely something off about the boy. She getting the strong sense of someone giving into a temptation, and she had a good feeling it was the brunette boy. 

As Adam joins them, Alexandra is handed a burger by Rose to go along with her banana slushie. A burger, which she happily nibbled away on as they watched more journalists come to sit beside an octagonal table that was around a chair. 

The black woman from before stepped into the middle of the platform in front of the chair, “Now, everybody behave. We have a management inspection.” She smiles over at the Doctor despite the small hiss Alexandra let out around a mouthful of bread and meat. “How do you want it? By the book?” 

The Doctor nodded, “Oh, right from scratch. Thanks.” 

She turned away from him, “Ok, so, ladies, gentlemen, multisex, undecided, or robot, my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy.” She looked at the Doctor again to see that the redhead had finished her food, and was leaning against the man’s chest with his arms wound around her waist. She pressed on; however, with her attempts to gain his kindness, “That’s Cathica with a ‘C,’ in case you want to write to floor 500 praising me, and please...do...” The Doctor ginned and gave a non-committal jerk of his head. “Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest and be non-biased. That’s company policy.” Catchica once again shot a smile the Doctor’s way. 

“Actually...it's the law,” the second woman from before corrected. 

“Yes, thank you, Suki,” Cathica snapped in irritation before taking a breath. “Okay. Keep it calm, don’t show off for the guests... here we go.” She got into the chair, and took a deep breath. “And... engage safety.” 

The staff moved to hold their hands over their pads, the eight walls of the room lighting up. Cathica snapped her fingers, and a small door opened in her forehead to reveal her brain. Alexandra pulled away from the Doctor’s chest to lean against the railing to get a closer look in fascination. The Doctor, on the hand look on disgusted while Rose looked startled, and Adam leaned in for a closer look as well. The staff placed their hands on the pads and closed their eyes. 

“And 3...2... and spike,” Cathica called moments later, and a blue light shot straight into her brain. 

“Compressed information, steaming into her,” the Doctor commented as the watched. “Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer.” 

“If it all goes through her, then she must be a genius,” Rose said. 

“Nah. She wouldn’t remember any of it. There’s too much, her brain would blow up,” he walked forwards slowly, heading around the octagon, circling it as Alexandra and Rose followed. “The brain’s the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets.” 

Rose pointed to the staff around the octagon, “So, what about all these people around the edge?” 

“They’ve all got tiny chips in their head, connecting them to her,” the Doctor answered as Rose knelt by one of them. Alexandra seemed to just stare at Cathica as she passed the Doctor to return to the railing. “And they transmit 600 channels. Every single fact in the empire beams out of this place.” The Doctor finished his circle around the room to stand next to the redhead in concern as he tried to pick up anything from her as she would sometimes share her suspicions with him only in case they turned out to be wrong. However, she seemed to have blocked him off for some reason. He leaned against the railing with one hand while his other gently rubbed her spine, “Now, that’s what I call power.” 

Alexandra seemed to finally come out of her mind, “Someone isn’t supposed to be here.” Her eyes drifted towards Suki behind her sunglasses before the clinched shut as a sudden pain shot through her head and her chest. The Doctor gripped her shoulder as she doubled over, “You alright?” 

She nods slowly as she straightens up, “Yeah...I... I don’t know what that was.” 

The Doctor looks at her in concern she ran a hand down her face to pinch the bridge of her nose. Alexandra turned her attention to where Rose had come up beside Adam. 

“You alright?” the blonde asked him. 

“I can see her brain,” he frowned. 

“Do you want to get out?” 

Adam shook his head quickly, “No... no. This technology, its...it's amazing.” 

“This technology is wrong,” the Doctor cut in as Alexandra looked at Adam in confusion, trying to figure out what his game was. 

Rose looked over, “Trouble?” 

“Oh, yeah,” the Doctor nodded as Alexandra turned to him with a mischievous look on her face. However, behind her sunglasses, her eyes had drifted to Suki, and watched as the woman flinched. 

Then, Suki gasped as she pulled her hands away from the pads, which forced the other members of staff to pull their hands away as well. The compressed information stopped streaming into Cathica, and the door in her forehead closed. 

“Come off it, Suki!” Cathica turned to the brunette in annoyance. “I wasn’t even halfway, what was that for?” 

“Sorry. Must’ve been a glitch...” Suki said quietly as Cathica stood up from the chair. 

Alexandra jumped slightly at a speaker announcing, “Promotion!” as a projection popped up on one of the walls. 

Cathica’s eyes widened, “This is it!” She gripped her hands together in a prayer motion, “Come on. God, make it me. Come on, say my name.” Alexandra rolled her eyes. “Say my name, say my name...” 

“Promotion for... Suki Macrae Cantrell,” the words flash on the wall as Suki’s jaw drops open. Cathica, on the other hand, looked devastated. “Please proceed to floor 500.” 

Suki stood up, continuing to stare at the projection in shock, “I don’t believe it...floor 500.” 

Cathica glares at the brunette, “How the hell did you manage that? I’m above you.” 

Alexandra rolls her eyes again. **Probably got it because she deserves it more.**

“I don’t know... I just applied on the off-chance,” Suki explained before beaming, “And they’ve said yes!” 

“That’s so not fair. I’ve been applying to floor 500 for three years!” 

“What’s floor 500?” Rose asks quietly. 

“The walls are made of gold,” The Doctor said grimly. 

“Fool’s gold," Alexandra whispers as she gets a chill down her spine again. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor, Alexandra, Rose, and Cathica were standing near the lift on floor 139 saying goodbye to Suki. 

“Cathica, I’m gonna miss you!” Suki cried to Cathica. “Floor 500...” she spun around to the Doctor and Alexandra, “Thank you!” 

The alien and hybrid share a surprised look at each other before turning back to the brunette. Alexandra gives her a small smile, “We didn’t do anything though?” 

Suki just continues to smile at them, “Well, you’re my lucky charms!” 

“Alright,” the Doctor nodded with a smile. “I’ll hug anyone.” 

Suki laughed as she hugged the Doctor before launching herself at the redhead, who froze and did not return the hug. The Doctor watched in concern as Alexandra’s chest began to heave quickly. However, the redhead wipes the fear that had painted itself clearly on her face as Suki lets her go, and gives the girl apologetic smile, “Sorry. Not a big hugger.” 

The Doctor’s concern only grew when he thought back to all the times the two of them had hugged. Had he been causing her this much panic, and not realized it? She’d never said anything, but maybe she was just trying to be nice and not hurt his feelings. 

While the Doctor’s head swam with thoughts, Alexandra caught the sight of Rose handing her Tardis key to Adam out of the corner of her eyes, and the dread that she had been squashing from the moment the young man stepped onto the Tardis grew. 

Rose came back over to the group as Suki cried, “Oh, my god, I’ve got to go!” She grabbed her bag and dashed to the lift, “I can’t keep them waiting... I’m sorry!” The lift dinged, and the door slipped open. She turned round to look at them as the doors began to close again with her inside, “Say goodbye to Steve for me!” 

The Doctor and Rose smiled at her while Alexandra seemed to be staring off behind the blackness of her sunglasses. 

“Bye!” Suki waved. 

The Doctor and Rose waved cheerily while Cathica looked sourly at the door, “Good riddance.” 

The Doctor looked at her in confusion, “You're talking like you’ll never see her again. She’s only going upstairs.” 

“We won’t. Once you go to floor 500, you never come back.” 

The Doctor watched as Alexandra shivered once again at the mention of floor 500 before his gaze drifted over to the lift. 

Cathica began to walk off, and the trio (well... it was more the Doctor and Rose with Alexandra following at a timider pace behind them) followed after her. “Have you ever been up there?” the Doctor asked. 

“No,” Cathica remarked bitterly. “You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to floor 500 except for the chosen few.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra shivered rather violently as they entered the workroom behind Cathica, who had looked back at the trio in annoyance, “Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance, can’t you give it a break?” 

“But you’ve never been to another floor?” the Doctor asked with a shake of his head. “Not even one floor down?” He settled himself in the chair in the middle of the room while Rose leaned against the back of it. Alexandra gently bumped his right leg with her hand, so that he would move it, and she sat down with her back to him. 

Rose smirked to herself as she realized that the run in with the Slitheen and the Dalek, were ultimately the best things to ever happen because it had made the Doctor and Alexandra finally admit to each other that they did fancy the other. She’d known for a while now that they loved each other. It was practically written on their faces. It was in the curl of Alexandra’s lips when she saw the Doctor, and the smile the Doctor reserves solely for the redhead. It was in the way Alexandra would always share anything banana flavored with him. Rose knows though. She’d known about Alexandra’s feeling towards the Doctor immediately. The redhead was practically smitten from the first time the blonde has seen them interact with each other. The Doctor, though, that... that had taken some time. Rose had known about the Doctor’s feelings for Alexandra since the Slitheen incident. She could tell because he was never quite the same when his stardust wasn't around. He’s quieter, spends more time in tinkering with the Tardis, or in his own head. Rose knows because it's in the way they move around each other. The subtle adjustments; shifting so their hands will brush against each other. The glances when they think no one is looking. Alexandra’s hands twitching when the Doctor’s lapels are messed up. Rose knows because even now, Alexandra’s thumb was rubbing gently circles in the Doctor’s thigh while his own was pulling red curls down, so that they would bounce back into place. 

Cathica glances at the trio, “I went to floor 16 when I first arrived. That’s medical, that’s when I got my head done, and then I... I came straight here. Satellite 5, you work, eat, and sleep on the same floor. That’s it, that’s all.” She paused looking at them suspiciously. “You’re not management, are you?” 

“At last!” the Doctor grinned. “She’s clever.” 

Alexandra smirked, “Certainly took her long enough.” 

“Yeah, well, whatever it is, don’t involve me. I don’t know anything.” 

The redhead frowned, “Don’t you want too though? From what I’ve learned from humans, journalists are rather nosy. Don’t you want to ask?” 

“Well, why would I?” 

“You’re a journalist!” the Doctor cries. “Why’s the crew all human?” 

“What’s that got to do with anything?” 

“There’s no aliens on board. Why?” 

“I don’t know. No real reason, they’re not banned or anything.” 

Alexandra scoffed as she gestured to the room, “Then, where are they? By all accounts, I should see some nonhumans, and well... I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are none. So. Why. Are. There. No. Aliens?” Cathica opened her mouth to answer, but the redhead just went on. “I mean it has bothered me since we got here. You broadcast news about every planet in every system, right? Where do you get that information from though? Who fact checks so that all the information that you stream out of here is actually correct, and you know... the truth?” 

The Doctor smirked proudly at the back of Alexandra’s head. 

“I suppose immigrations tightened up,” Cathica began to explain, but the doubt was clear on her face. “It's had to. What, with all the threats.” 

“What threats?” the Doctor asked. 

“I don’t know...” Cathica said frustrated. “All of them. Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled, so that kept visitors away. Oh, and the government on Traffic 5’s collapsed, so that lot stopped coming. You see? Just... lots of little reasons, that’s all.” 

“Sounds like a lot of hearsay to me,” Alexandra commented. 

“Adding up to one big fact, and you didn’t even notice,” the Doctor added. 

“Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite 5 would have seen it. We see everything,” Cathica argued. 

“I can see better, and Alexandra here can sense these things. This society’s the wrong shape. Even the technology.” 

“It’s cutting edge!” 

“It’s backwards! There’s a great big door in your head! You should’ve chucked this out years ago!” 

“So, what do you think is going on?” Rose asked curiously. 

“It’s not just this space station. It’s the whole attitude. It’s the way people think. The Great and Bountiful Human Empire’s stunted. Somethings holding it back.” 

“And how would you know?” Cathica scoffed. 

“Trust me,” the Doctor looked at her, “Humanity’s been set back about...” 

“90 years,” Alexandra blurted out with frightened eyes. The random knowledge being dropped into her head was really beginning to freak her out. She didn’t even know where it was coming from. She knew she wasn’t picking up on stray thoughts from the Doctor. Those usually sounded like he was talking in her head, but this. This was different. There was no voice to accompany the information. It just sort of appears, and its accuracy scared her. It might have calmed Alexandra if she’d known that psychic abilities were most often caused by lack of temporal focus. Alexandra’s mind was so far adrift in time that she was reminiscent of Agnes Nutter at times. 

The Doctor nodded, “90 years. When did Satellite 5 start broadcasting?” 

“91 years ago...” Cathica breathed in realization. 

The Doctor just nodded again as he gently rubbed up and down Alexandra’s back. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Cathica was glancing around nervously as the Doctor scanned the side of large metal door with the sonic. “We’re so gonna get in trouble,” She commented coming to stand beside Alexandra and Rose, who had been behind the Doctor. “You’re not allowed to touch the mainframe, you’re gonna get told off.” 

“Alexandra, tell her to button it,” the Doctor requested. 

Alexandra smirked as she turned to Cathica, “If you would be so kind as to button it that would be great. Also, you three will get in trouble. Suspicion just kinda slides off me a majority of the time.” 

“You can’t just vandalize the place, someone’s gonna notice,” Cathica whispered to the redhead as the Doctor just wrenched the door open. She rolled her eyes, “This is nothing to do with me. I’m going back to work.” 

“Go on then! See ya!” the Doctor shouted. 

Cathica stopped and looked back at the trio, “I can’t just leave you, can I?” 

Alexandar smirked, “Feeling a bit curious, are we?” 

“If you wanna be useful, get ‘em to turn the heating down,” Rose turned to Cathica. “It’s boiling. What’s wrong with this place, can’t they do something about it?” 

“I don’t know,” Cathica shrugged. “We keep asking. Something to do with the turbine...” 

“Something to do with the turbine...” the Doctor mocked quietly. 

“Well, I don’t know!” 

“Exactly! I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Rose, look at Rose,” Rose smiled at the praise, “Rose is asking the right kind of questions.” 

“Oh, thank you,” Rose winked. 

“Why’s it so hot?” 

Alexandra got a naughty look on her face as she looked the Doctor up and down, “I can think of a few reasons.” She didn’t miss the way his face turned red. 

“One minute you’re worried about the Empire and the next it’s the central heating,” Cathica said with a roll of her eyes. 

Alexandra looks at her, “Just because there isn’t an obvious connection doesn’t mean there isn’t one in the first place.” 

The Doctor smiles back at the redhead, “Exactly. Never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing’s very important.” Then, he pulled out a handful of wires causing Alexandra to wince as she took them from his hand to try and replace them. 

Cathica looked away nervously, certain that they would get in trouble any second now. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor, with more than a little help from Alexandra, who was better at hacking into computers without destroying it in the process, hacked in to the mainframe. He turned the screen to Cathica, “Here we go, Satellite 5. Pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout.” 

Cathica frowned at the screen, “This is ridiculous. You’ve got access to the computer’s core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange...and you’re looking at pipes?” 

Alexandra came up beside her to gesture towards the ventilation system, “Yeah. We are because there’s something wrong.” 

Cathica glanced at the redhead before looking back at the screen, “I suppose...” 

“Why, what is it?” Rose asked curiously. 

“The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out... channeling massive amounts of heat down.” 

“All the way from the top,” the Doctor agreed. 

“Floor 500,” Rose breathed. 

“Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat.” 

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m missing out on a party,” Rose grinned. “It’s all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?” 

Alexandra smirked, “Ro, I was thinking exactly the same thing.” 

“You can’t it needs a key,” Cathica reminded them. 

“Keys are just codes, and I’ve got the codes right here,” the Doctor said, tapping a few keys on the screen, “If that doesn’t work, then all Alexandra has to do is snap her fingers. Here we go, overrode 215.9.” 

“How come it’s giving you the code?” 

The Doctor looks up at a security camera, “Someone up there likes us.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The lift on floor 139 opened and Rose, Alexandra, and the Doctor stepped inside while Cathica stopped just outside of it. 

“Come on, come with us!” Rose urged. 

“No way!” Cathica exclaimed taking a step back. 

“Bye!” the Doctor waved. 

Alexandra smiled knowingly, “See you in a few then.” 

The Doctor and Rose looked at her in confusion. 

“Well, don’t mention my name! When you get in trouble, just don’t involve me.” Cathica walked off. 

“Well, that’s her gone,” the Doctor commented at the woman stormed off. “Adam’s given up. Looks like it's just the three of us.” The Doctor grinned at both women to his right. 

“Yeah,” Rose smiled. 

“Good.” 

Alexandra beamed, “The Three Musketeers. I’m Aramis. Doc is Athos, and Rose you’re Porthos.” 

They all grinned at each other as the Doctor slid a card into the controls and the door shut. As the lift started to climb, Alexandra shivered again, and the Doctor, seeing it, reached out to take her hand. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The lift door opened to reveal floor 500, and it was covered in frost and snow. Alexandra’s nose immediately turned red, and she pulled her jean jacket tighter around herself. 

“The walls are not made of gold...” the Doctor muttered, but his gaze drifted to Alexandra, who was inspecting icicles. The walls weren’t gold, and she’d called that. He thought back to all the other times she’d known something without actually having seen it. She’d said fool’s gold. Fool’s gold, which was meant to lure someone into a trap. He quickly turned to the two women, “You two should go back downstairs.” 

“Tough,” Rose remarked, walking off. 

Alexandra scoffed, “Not a chance, Apple Tree.” She took his hand and gently led him after Rose. She did worry about Rose more often than not because the blonde seemed to treat these trips as exactly that. Trips. She acted like nothing could happen to her. Alexandra was not under that impression. She’d almost died with the Slitheen. Well... her body almost had. 

The trio found themselves in a large control room, and there was a very pale man with white hair and light blue eyes waiting for them. 

“I started without you,” the man said. “This is fascinating. Satellite 5 contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you three... you don’t exist. Not a trace! No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. Well... I say that. I caught red and leather jacket kissing earlier.” Rose’s head snapped to her two friends, who were looking around the room bashfully. “How can you walk through the world, and not leave a single footprint.” 

Rose spotted Suki, sitting in a row of frozen people at terminals, and made her way over quickly, “Suki!” She knelt next to the woman, “Suki! Hello? Can you hear me? Suki?” Rose turned to glare at the man, “What’ve you done to her?” 

“I think she’s dead,” the Doctor replied grimly. 

Alexandra nods, “No heartbeat. They’re all dead.” 

“She’s working...” Rose trailed off. 

“They’ve all got chips in their heads, and the chips keep going. Like puppets,” the Doctor explained. 

“Like marionette puppets,” Alexandra added sadly. 

“Oh!” the man cheered. “You’re full of information! But it’s only fair we get information back, because apparently, you’re no one.” The man laughed. “It’s so rare not to know something. Who are you?” 

“It doesn’t matter, ‘cos we’re off,” the Doctor glared at him. “Nice to meet you.” 

The trio went to leave, but several of the dead employees grabbed onto them. Two holding the Doctor, Suki holding Rose, and not one, not two, not three, but four went to hold Alexandra. Alexandra, who immediately panicked. Two of them were sent flying across the room before one could stick her with a needle, which had her sagging until she was asleep. 

“Tell me who you are?” The man yells. 

The Doctor looks livid, “Since that information’s keeping us alive, I’m hardly gonna say, am I?” 

The man smirks, “Well, perhaps the Editor-in-chief can convince you otherwise.” 

“And who’s that?” 

“It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it’s not actually human at all. It’s merely a place where humans happen to live.” 

Something above them growled angrily. The Doctor and Rose were reminded of a certain redhead’s hisses. 

“Yeah, sorry. It’s a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client,” He clicked his fingers and jerked one finger up at the creature on the ceiling. 

The Doctor and Rose looked up, and their eyes widen at the blob of an alien with a slobbering mouth with several sharp teeth, snapping at them. 

“What is that?” Rose asks with fright painting her tone. 

“You mean, that thing’s in charge of Satellite 5?” The Doctor asked still staring at it. 

“That ‘thing,’ as you put it, is in charge of the Human race,” the man glared as the Doctor stared at him in shock. “For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled, by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior, your master, and humanity’s guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic, Maxarodenfoe.” 

The creature growled loudly. 

“I call him Max.” 

The Doctor smiled grimly. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rose struggled against her manacles while the Doctor stared angrily at the pale man. Alexandra...well, she was still unconscious, was locked into manacles as well, and her head had lulled to the left rest on the Doctor’s shoulder. 

“If we create a climate of fear...” the man was explaining, “Then it's easy to keep the boarders closed. It’s just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize the economy, invent an enemy, change a vote...” 

“So, all the people on Earth are like slaves?” Rose asked. 

“Well, now. There’s an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn’t know he’s enslaved?” 

“Yes,” the Doctor stated simply. 

“Oh,” the man pouted. “I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I’m going to get? ‘Yes?’” 

“Yes.” 

The man chuckled, “You’re no fun.” 

The Doctor raised his arms that were caught in the restraints, “Let me out of these manacles, you’ll find out just how much fun I am.” The Doctor could almost hear the naughty comment Alexandra would have made if she were awake. She’d probably have said something about being extremely turned on. 

“Oh, he’s tough, isn’t he? I can see why red likes him,” the man commented. “But, come on. Isn’t it a great system? You’ve got to admire it, just a little bit.” 

“You can’t hide something on this scale,” Rose argued. “Somebody must’ve noticed.” 

“From time to time, someone, yes. But the computer system allows me to see inside their brain. I can see the smallest doubt.” The man made a fist, “And crush it. Then, they just carry on, living their life. Strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they’re so individual...” 

The Doctor glanced to his right to see if there was any sign that Alexandra was waking up. There was none. She was out cold, and would be for a while. However, he kept getting little pushes in his mind to look at the mirror behind the pale man. It felt remarkably like Alexandra’s little hints on what she thought he should do. He finally looked behind the man to see Cathica reflected in a mirror. 

“When of course, they’re not,” the man continued to ramble. “They’re just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn’t changed a thing.” 

“What about you?” Rose glared at him. “You’re not a... a..” 

“Jagrafess,” the Doctor supplied along with a very familiar voice in Rose’s mind. 

Rose glanced at Alexandra, who was still asleep, “Jagrafess. You’re not a Jagrafess. Your human.” 

“Yeah, well, simply being human doesn’t pay very well,” the man sighed. 

“But you couldn’t have done this all on your own.” 

“No! I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to um... install himself.” 

“No wonder, a creature that size,” the Doctor glanced up. “What’s his life span?” 

“3,000 years.” 

The Doctor and Rose shared a look before they both glanced at Alexandra. She unlike a normal snake radiated heat like a furnace due to a mixture of heavenly light and hellfire coursing through her. She’d compared herself to a star. Big ball of burning gas. 

“That’s one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That’s why Satellite 5’s so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs, Jagrafess stays cool, stays alive. Satellite 5’s one great big life support system.” 

“But that’s why you’re so dangerous,” the man grinned. “Knowledge is power, but remain unknown.” He snapped the manacles on the Doctor and Rose sent electricity coursing through their bodies. “Who are you?” 

The Doctor grimaced in pain until the electricity stopped, “Leave them alone. I’m the Doctor, the redhead is Alexandra Crowley, and the blonde is Rose Tyler. We’re nothing, we’re just wandering.” 

“Tell me who you are?” 

“I just said!” 

“Yeah, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly...” the man trailed off before grinning at the Doctor, “Timelord.” 

The Doctor blinked in shock, “What?” 

“Oh, yes!” the man laughed. “The last of the Timelords in his travelling machine. Oh, with their hybrid and little human girl from long ago.” He reached out to touch Alexandra, but stopped upon seeing the Doctor’s dark glare. 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Time travel.” 

The Doctor shook his head, “Someones been telling you lies.” 

“Young Master Adam Mitchell?” the man asked. He clicked his fingers and a large security monitor turned on revealing Adam, twisting in agony, shouting as he sat on the chair in Cathica’s workroom, a stream of compressed information striking his brain due to the door in his forehead. 

“Oh, my god, his head!” Rose gasped. 

“What the hell’s he done?” The Doctor shouted. “What the hell’s he gone and done? They’re reading his mind. He’s telling them everything!” 

“And through him, I know everything about you,” the man smirked. “Every piece of information in his head is now mine, and you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you’ve seen in your T-A-R-D-I-S. Tardis.” 

“You’ll never get your hands on it. I’ll die first.” 

“Die all you like,” the man shrugged. “I don’t need you. I’ve got the key.” They looked at the monitor where Rose’s key was lifting out of Adam’s pocket. 

The Doctor rounded on Rose as Alexandra seemed to become a dead weight in her manacles, “You and your boyfriends!” 

Rose looked at him guiltily. 

“Today, we are the headlines,” the man cut in. “We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing.” 

“And no one's going to stop you,” the Doctor’s eyes narrow at the man before looking at Cathica over his shoulder. He could’ve sworn he saw the outline of a white snake with red markings behind her, but it was gone after he blinked. “Because you’ve bred a Human race that doesn’t bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They’ll just trot right into the slaughterhouse if they’re told it is made of gold.” The Doctor scoffed, “Alexandra was right. It was fool’s gold.” 

He watched Cathica leave the entryway she’d been hidden in. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Cathica entered the workroom on floor 500, and pushed the rotten corpse out of the chair, “Disengage safety,” she commanded. 

The walls lit up around her. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

An alarm began to sound in the control room. 

“What’s happening?” the man asked, hurrying to look at the multiple monitors. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Maximum access,” Cathica ordered. “Override floor 139.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Adam gasped as he was released, and the information stream into and out of him stopped. He went to catch the falling Tardis key, but a red scaly hand caught it first. 

Adam looked up to the face attached to the hand, and screamed in horror at the golden slitted eyes that met his. They were surrounded by more red scales that turned white on the creature's neck. It had dark red hair, and long red horns that looked more like the antlers of a deer with their many branches. However, two branches circled above creature's head to make a glowing ring. Then, there was the red tail that came to an arrow point at the end with rings like a rattlesnake.

Adam blinked in horror, and the creature was gone as if it had never been there in the first place. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Cathica took a breath, “And... spike!” 

The information stream shot in and out of her. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra’s body seemed to hold itself upright again. 

“Someone’s disengaged the safety,” the man spun around, and snapped his fingers causing the large monitor to switch to Cathica, “Who’s that?” 

“It’s Cathica!” Rose cheered. 

“And she’s thinking," The Doctor beamed. “She’s using what she knows,” he laughed. 

“Terminate her access,” the man ordered Suki. 

“Everything I told her about Satellite 5. The pipes, the filters, she’s reversing it! Look at that...” he nodded to the icicles on the room, “It’s getting hot.” 

“I said terminate,” the man yelled, placing his hands over Suki’s, “Burn her mind.” 

“Oh, no you don’t,” Cathica said on the monitor. “You should’ve promoted me years back.” 

All the screen exploded, which sent showers of sparks flying everywhere. The dead workers dropped lifeless over their work stations. Satellite 5 shook, alarms blaring. As Rose shifted her manacles opened, and she managed to slide out of them. 

The man didn’t notice his captives escaping as he tried to get the workers upright again. 

“She’s venting the heat up here,” the Doctor shouted over all the noise. “The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it’s sitting on top of a volcano.” 

The Jagrafess let out a growl as the Doctor laughed darkly. 

“Yes!” the man shouted up at the Jagrafess. “Uh... I’m trying, Sir, but I don’t know how she did it. It’s impossible. A member of staff with an idea...” 

The Jagrafess grew angrier as the man pushed Suki’s body out of the way to try and fix everything himself. 

Rose turned to the Doctor, and fumbled to get the sonic out of his jacket pocket as the Jagrafess snapped at them. “What do I do?” Rose asked loudly. 

“Flick the switch!” The Doctor ordered. 

Rose did as he said, and the sonic buzzed. A small explosion went off nearby causing the blonde to flinch. She turned to the manacles, and they unlocked quickly. 

The Doctor quickly took the sonic from her and turned to Alexandra to unlock both of her manacles. Her body fell forwards when they did, and the Doctor caught her against his chest. He wrapped one arm around her back while the other one lifted up her legs, so that she was tucked up against his chest. He spun around to look at the pale man, “Oi, mate, wanna bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body. Massive bang!” 

Lumps of flesh began to fall from the ceiling. 

“See you in the headlines,” the Doctor called as they ran out of the room. 

The man looked up at the Jagrafess, who was roaring and throbbing, “Um, actually, Sir, if it's all the same to you, I think I’ll resign. Bye, then!” He made to leave, but Suki grabbed his ankle causing him to trip. He struggled to try and pull his ankle free, “Let go of me!” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor and Rose ran into the workroom were Cathica was lying with information still streaming in and out of her. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Jagrafess swelled before exploding as the pale man screamed in terror. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor clicked his fingers against Alexandra’s back, and the door in Cathica’s head closed. Her eyes fluttered opened as she looked up at the Doctor, who was smiling proudly at her. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor and Alexandra sat across from Cathica at one of the tables on floor 139 while Rose leaned against a counter behind them. 

“We’re just gonna go,” the Doctor admitted. “I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You’ll manage.” 

“You have to stay and explain it,” Cathica argued. “No one's gonna believe me.” 

“Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now. The Human race should accelerate. All back to normal.” 

Alexandra smiled, “Everyone will go back to being as nosy as they were in the past.” 

Cathica glanced at Adam, who was loitering by the Tardis, “What about your friend?” 

“He’s not my friend,” the Doctor corrected grimly. He stood stiffly and stalked over to Adam with Rose and Alexandra hurrying after him. 

“Now, don’t...” Rose began, but the Doctor just ignored her and walked right up to the young man. 

“I’m alright now,” Adam said quickly as if that would fix everything. “Much better. Although, a terrifying creature stole the key.” 

Alexandra scoffed, “Nice to know that humans still can’t handle my true form.” She pulled Rose’s key out from the one of the pockets of her jean jacket, and handed it back to Rose with a warning look not to give it to anyone again. 

The Doctor continued to glare at the young man. 

Adam stuttered, “Well, it’s... I know...” He chuckled nervously. “It all worked out for the best, didn’t it?” The Doctor just pulled out his own key and grabbed him, opening the Tardis door. “You know, it’s not actually my fault, because you were in charge...” The Doctor ignored him, and pushed him through the open door. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor steered Adam out of the Tardis as soon as they had landed with Rose and Alexandra rushing out after the two men. The Doctor caught when Alexandra’s head turned to look at the telephone. 

“It’s my house!” Adam breathed. “I’m home! Oh, my God, I’m home!” He looked at the Doctor, who was still glaring at him, “Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock.” 

Alexandra cracked her neck as took her sunglasses off to tuck them in her jean jacket, “The Tardis doesn’t have an airlock. Although, I have half a mind to make one.” 

Adam winced when blue slitted eyes with a ring of gold around the pupil met his. 

“Is there something else you want to tell me?” the Doctor asked. 

“No,” Adam shook his head. “Um... what do you mean?” 

Alexandra’s eyes once again flicked over to the telephone, which exploded. 

The Doctor nodded to the destroyed telephone, “The archive of Satellite 5. One second of that message could’ve changed the world. That’s it, then. See ya.” The Doctor grabbed Alexandra’s hand to pull her into the Tardis. 

“How do you mean ‘see ya?’” 

“As in ‘goodbye.’” 

“But... what about me? You can’t just go, I’ve got my head, I’ve got a chip type two, my head opens.” 

Alexandra shrugs, “Guess you should’ve thought about that before you got an operation from the future.” 

The Doctor clicked his fingers cause Adam’s head to open. 

“Don’t,” Adam said angrily, clicking his own fingers to close it. 

“Don’t do what?” he asked innocently, clicking his fingers. 

“Stop it!” Adam shouted, closing it again. 

“Alright now, Doctor, that’s enough,” Rose chastised when she realized that Alexandra had not sympathy for Adam, and wouldn’t stop the Doctor herself. “Stop it.” 

“Thank you,” Adam said to Rose, who clicked her fingers a second later. “Oi!” 

Rose giggled, “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” 

Adam closed it. 

The Doctor and Rose looked Alexandra expecting her get a playful snap in as well. Instead, she lifted her fingers in a threat at Adam, “You really don’t want me to snap my finger because if I’m not careful about where my thoughts are when I do... I could blow up your entire head instead.” She lowered her hand. 

Adam gulped in fear while the Doctor and Rose looked at Alexandra as if they’d just had ice poured on them. They realized that Alexandra was much more dangerous than she let on. 

The Doctor turned to Adam, “The whole of history could’ve changed because of you.” 

“I just wanted to help.” 

“You were helping yourself.” 

“And I’m sorry. I’ve said I’m sorry, and I am, I really am, but you can’t just leave me like this.” 

“Yes, I can. ‘Cos if you show your head to anyone, they’ll dissect you in seconds. You’ll have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble. Be average. Unseen. Good luck.” 

“But I wanna come with you!” 

“I only take the best for my companions. I’ve got Rose.” Alexandra’s face fell slightly at that. **I’m not a companion?**

There was the sound of the front door opening. 

“Oh my god,” Adam breathed. 

“Who’s that?” A woman called. “Jeff? Is that you?” 

“It’s me, Mum, don’t come in, wait there a minute,” Adam called back as Rose looked at him teasingly. 

The Doctor and Alexandra slipped in to the Tardis. “Oh, my lord! You never said you were coming home! Hold on, I’ll just take my coat off. You should’ve told me you were coming home. I’d have got your favorite tea in.” 

“Rose, take me with you,” Adam pleaded with the blonde quietly. 

Rose just stared at him before stepping onto the Tardis and shutting the door. The engines began moments later. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra was startled out of her sleep by loud nervous trills in her mind. She knew it was the Tardis, and she sat up slowly, “What is it, sweet girl? What’s wrong? Did the Doctor disconnect something important?” 

Alexandra was not expecting to be literally thrown out of the bed by the Tardis. She rubbed her shoulder as she stood up, "Okay, okay. I’m up. Lead the way.” 

She sluggishly followed the blinking light out of her room, and down several hallways till she came to an old wooden door with Gallifreyan etched into it. Alexandra no longer required the Tardis’ help to figure out what was wrong a loud scream echoed out into the hall. She burst into the room to find the Doctor screaming and thrashing about on his bed, tangled in the covers. 

Alexandra slowly comes closer to the bed, and gently lays her cold hand on the Doctor’s t-shirt clad shoulder. She gently shook him, “Doctor?” 

She suddenly found herself on the floor with the Doctor’s hands on her neck. It wasn’t as if Alexandra had to breathe, so she wasn’t bothered by this at all. Instead, she slowly raised a hand to connect with the side of his face. _Doctor. Wake up. It’s just a nightmare._

His eyes snap open, and he immediately let's go of her neck. The Doctor stares at Alexandra in concern, “Stardust?” His eyes focus on the red marks the same size as his fingers around the circumference of her neck, and he pales as he backs away from her, “I’m sorry, Alexandra. I’m so sorry.” 

Alexandra gently sits up, and holds out a hand, “It’s okay, Doctor. You can’t choke someone to death when they don’t actually have to breathe.” 

“Okay?” The Doctor’s face contorts as he glances between her neck and her hand, “You think what I just did was okay?” His breaths get quicker as he drops his head to his hands. 

Alexandra sighs, “You were having a nightmare, and thought you I was a threat. It’s okay. You didn’t mean to. I’d have done the same thing. Did you not see me earlier?” 

He looks up at that. Alexandra takes his hands, and pulls him back onto the bed with her, “Come on, you can be broody and guilt ridden while we cuddle.” 

The Doctor reluctantly gets back under the covers, but relaxes at little when he watches Alexandra gently fold the comforter and sheets back to climb in with him. She gently lays her head on his chest, and wraps an arm around his waist as both of his pull her closer, "Do you wanna talk about it?” 

“It was the last days of the war,” he says quietly. 

Alexandra squeezes his side gently, “We don’t have to talk about it.” 

“The last days of the war...” he continued. “The High Council, they were planning... they wanted to live at any cost. I stole an ancient weapon called The Moment, and set it off.” 

He was quiet for a few minutes. 

“I destroyed my own planet. My own people... all of them.” 

Alexandra couldn’t think of anything to say. She didn’t think here was anything she could say. Finally, she lifted off of him to look him in the eyes, “What would’ve happened if you hadn’t?” 

“The universe would have been ripped apart,” he whispers. 

Her eyes shut as she lays back down, “I’m not leaving. You did what you had to. The way I see it... there wasn’t a wrong or a right.” 

The Doctor gently kisses the top of her head, and she decided not to point out the tears that drip into her hair, “I don’t deserve you.” 

She lifts herself up again, “Don’t care.” She leans in to gently press her lips against his, “I chose you, so you’re stuck with me for as long as you want me.” 

He smiles softly as she lays back down on his chest, “Forever?” 

Alexandra giggles lightly as her eyes shut, “If you want. I’d be more than happy to spend forever with you.” 


	8. Father's Day

Alexandra was only half-listening as Rose told her and the Doctor about the day her father had died. She was still in the process of recovering from the infection that had penetrated the wound on her chest. Alexandra had spent the last two weeks in bed with the Doctor constantly hovering around her. She’d tried to convince him to take Rose on a trip with him, but he’d refused saying, “I’m not going anywhere  without you.”

Instead, he’d made her soup, helped her to the bathroom, helper her cleaned herself, and had read several books to her after Alexandra had deliriously mentioned that she loved the sound of his voice. 

Today had been the first day she’d felt well enough to get out of bed and make the venture to the console room. Even then, she’d sat on the jump seat with her head on the Doctor’s shoulder as he messed around with a ball of some sort. Rose had come in a few minutes later.

“That’s what my mom always says,” Rose continued. “So, I was thinking... could we? Could we go and see my dad when he was alive?”

“Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?” The Doctor asked with a frown. 

“Alright then, if we can’t, if it goes against the laws of time or something,” She mumbled turning towards the console. “Then never mind, we’ll just leave it.”

“No, I can do anything. I’m just worried about you.”

“I  wanna see him.”

The Doctor glanced at the redhead, who had her eyes closed as she rested on his shoulder, “Stardust?”

She hummed lightly.

“Think you’re up for a trip?”

She pulled her head off his  shoulder to look at him with glazed over eyes, “Not really, but if I have to lay in bed for another  day, I might finally lose it.”

The Doctor frowned, “You weren’t complaining.”

Alexandra sighs, “It was nice to do nothing but listen to you read when I was delirious with a, what was it? 40-degree fever (That’s 104 degrees Fahrenheit). Now, though? Kinda want to do anything but lay down.”

The Doctor nodded and turned to Rose, “Your wish is my command, but be careful what you wish for.” As he began to put in coordinates he glanced at Alexandra over his shoulder.  _ You sure you can handle this?  _ Since they’d had nothing but time on their hands while Alexandra recovered, her and the Doctor had been working on her telepathy. Ever the quick learner, she’d gotten quite good at it. 

_ Yeah. It’s Rose I’d worry about. I don’t think I could handle seeing a dead loved one alive and well again. It’d just remind me of everything I’d lost, you know? _

Alexandra grimaced behind him. Of course, he knew. He’d lost his whole planet. She didn’t get to linger on that thought as she was flung from the  jump seat as the Tardis shook violently.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

The trio of a human, a Timelord, and a supernatural being hybrid sat in the very back of a small gathering of people that were witnessing the wedding of Jacking and Peter Tyler at the local Registry office. 

Eve was looking rather like her demonic father today. Except that the overwhelming color today was red instead of black. She had on the black bodysuit with roses embroidered on it that the Doctor loved her in, red velvet pants and suit jacket, and some bright red converse. Her sunglasses were one of the spare pairs of her fathers. She still wasn’t feeling well, so she’d decided to dress nicely in an attempt to perk herself a bit more. 

Eve had the Doctor’s hand in her lap and was rubbing circles over his knuckles with her thumb as the official recited, “I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Angela Suzette Prentiss...”

“I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Suzanna... Suzette... Anita, “Pete mucked it up due to the obvious nerves. 

Jackie narrowed her eyes at him before sighing, “Oh, just carry on. It’s good enough for Lady Di.”

The Doctor and Alexandra grinned at each other before turning their grins to Rose, who was looking at her father curiously. “I thought he’d be taller,” the blonde commented.

Alexandra frowned, “He is tall.”

The Doctor shook his head.  _ Everyone is taller than you, Stardust. _

_ Oh, hush, Apple Tree.  _

_ Yes, dear. _

_ “ _ ... to be my lawfully wedded wife, to love and behold ‘til death do us part,” the official continued.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /

"I wanna be that someone,” Rose explained having just told the Doctor and Alexandra about how nobody had been there when her father died. “ So, he doesn’t die alone.”

“November the 7 th ?” the Doctor repeated, wanting make sure that he got it right.

“1987.”

Alexandra had a fond look on her face, “1987. I’d be five.”

The Doctor smirked, “Little Stardust.”

Eyes rolled behind sunglasses, “And there went the  reminiscing .”

“I have to see baby picture one day, Alexandra,” he teased.

“Just pilot, and please do get it right this time.”

He nodded as he set about putting in the coordinates, and flying at a calmer pace this time. The engines cooled down a few moments later, and Rose immediately made a beeline for the doors.

The Doctor glanced at Alexandra, who’d paled a little, “Alright? You don’t have to go if you’re not feeling 100%.”

She shook her head, “It’s not that.”

“Then what?”

She looked at him as her sunglasses moved to rest on top of her head on their own accord, “It doesn’t feel right.”

He nodded solemnly, knowing that she couldn’t always make sense of what she saw or felt. “It’ll be alright. I’ll be here the entire time.”

Alexandra blinked as her sunglasses came back down, “Come on.”

The Doctor followed Alexandra out of the Tardis to find a calm day. The sun  shining . How could something bad happen when it was so sunny outside.

“That’s so weird,” Rose commented. “The day my father died... I thought it’d be all sort of grim and stormy, it’s just an ordinary day.”

“No such thing as an ordinary day,” Alexandra corrected as she observed her surroundings. “Not for everyone at least.”

“The past is another country,” the Doctor said. “1987’s just the Isle of Wight. Although, there is a Little Stardust running around in that big backyard in South Downs.”

“Would you give it up?” Alexandra asked exasperatedly.

“I will see those pictures, Stardust. One day.”

Alexandra shut her eyes as flashes a man that looked remarkably like her father except with brown spikey hair and matching brown eyes. She smirked, “Not that face, dear.”

The Doctor looked at her with wide eyes, “What?”

“You heard me. I don’t know why I’d show future you though. They’re embarrassing pictures. I mean in some of them I’m a chubby little baby in a little bathtub.” She shivered at the thought.

The Doctor shakes his head, knowing that Alexandra wouldn’t tell him about his future self even if he begged her. ‘Can’t know your own destiny’, she’d say. He turned to Rose, “Are you sure about this?”

“It won’t be easy to watch?” Alexandra added.

Rose nodded, “Yeah.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

The trio stood on a curb near the Powell Estate, when Alexandra noticed that the consciousness that she knew to be the Doctor’s was brushing against her own twice. As if there were two of him. She glanced to her left where the Doctor was standing next to her with his hand tightly wrapped around her own. Then, she risked glancing behind her. 

Alexandra held in a surprised gasp as her eyebrows rose above her sunglasses when she saw herself, the Doctor, and Rose staring at her in the same surprise with wide eyes. Her head whipped around to face forwards, and she saw the Doctor look at her in concern. He went to look behind them, but froze with his head turned to face Alexandra and Rose, who was on Alexandra’s other side, as the redhead warned,  _ don’t _ _ look behind you. It’s bad enough that I did it. _

_ Why not?  _ He tried to glance out of the corner of his eye at what Alexandra had seen, but found he couldn’t. The redhead glanced at him apologetically. 

_ Just trust me, and don’t. It’s nothing dangerous. Just... don’t look. _

Any reply he might have had was cut off as Alexandra let go of his hand to stand on Rose’s other side as she nodded to the corner, “Any minute now, Rose. You sure you want to do this?”

“This is it,” Rose murmured taking the redhead’s hand. “Jordan Road. He was late. He’d been to get a wedding present, a vase. Mum always said, that stupid vase,” Rose swallowed as she tried to hold back tears. “He got out of the car...” a car came around the corner and pulled over, “and crossed the road.” The car came to a stop next to the curb, “Oh, God. This is it.”

They watched in silence as Pete Tyler stepped out of the car, not noticing the other car that was making its way around the corner. He leaned back in to the car to grab a vase. Rose’s hand tightened around Alexandra’s while the Doctor’s reached out for Rose’s free one. Both of them offering comfort. 

Pete got back out of the car, turned to his right, and his eyes widen at the car speeding towards him. The driver threw an arm over his eyes. 

Rose hid her head behind the Doctor’s shoulder as the sound of vase shattering filled the air. Rose lifted her head to see her father, lying on the ground, twitching as his life rapidly left him.

“Go to him,” the Doctor told her. “Quick.”

Rose was frozen though. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A little while later found the trio leaning against a brick wall in the alley near the corner. Rose had tears in her eyes as the sounds of ambulance sirens filled the air.

“It's too late now,” Rose commented. “By the time the ambulance got there, he was dead,” her voice faltered as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. The Doctor and Alexandra looked down. Rose turned to them, “He can’t die on his own.” They looked up sharply at her. “Can I try again?”

Alexandra immediately thought back to seeing the three of them behind them earlier and looked worried, “Rose as much as I’d love to have him not die alone. I really don’t think it’s...”

“Please,” Rose begged.

Alexandra sighed giving the Doctor an exasperated look before they made their way back to the Tardis.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

They stood around the corner near the alley, just out of sight, watching as their past selves stood on the curb. The Doctor and Rose’s eyes widen in sync with past Alexandra’s as she looks back and sees them before whipping back around. The past Doctor started to, but wasn’t able to get his head much further than looking at Alexandra.

The present Doctor looked at present Alexandra in shock. The redhead just shrugged as her eyes were drawn to where ‘White Serpent’ was graffitied on the wall beside them. 

“Right,” the Doctor said, cutting of her train of thought on why she kept seeing and hearing those words. “That’s the first us. It’s a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful that nobody else besides Alexandra see us. Wait ‘til she runs off and they follow, then go to your Dad.”

They watched as the car pulled up again. 

“Oh, God,” past Rose breathed. “This is it.”

“I can’t do this,” present Rose shuddered.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” the Doctor reminded her, “but this is the last time we can be here.”

Rose stared at her father as he got back out of the car with the vase, took a heavy breath, and darted off. 

“Rose, NO!” Alexandra shouted as she began to dart after the girl, but was pulled back by the Doctor’s tight grip on her arm. She would’ve been too late anyways.

Rose had already ran past their past selves and tackled her father out of the way of the oncoming car. 

“No, no, no...” Alexandra kept muttering to herself as their past selves disappeared. The Doctor was looking on in mounting horror.

Rose just stared at her father as they both got to their feet, “I did it! I saved your life!”

“Blimey, did you see the speed of it?” Pete commented with a gasp. “Did you get his number?”

Rose continued to stare in shock, “I really did it. Oh, my God, look at you! You’re alive! That car was  gonna kill ya!”

“Well, give me some credit, I did see it coming. I wasn’t  gonna walk under it, was I?”

“I’m Rose,” the blonde blurted out causing the redhead watching from a distance to grimace.

“That’s a coincidence,” He smiled. “That’s my daughter’s name.”

“That’s a great name,” Rose beamed. “Good choice, well done.”

Rose just continued to smile at him. He stared at her awkwardly as he hesitated on what to say, “Right, I’d better shift. I’ve got a wedding to go to.”

“Is that Sarah Clark’s wedding?”

“Yeah, are you going?”

“...yeah.”

“You, your sister, and her husband need a lift?” he asked, gesturing towards the Doctor and Alexandra who were both still standing at the corner. The Doctor was watching them darkly while Alexandra kept glancing around as if she was being watched.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

Pete pushed open the door to the flat, letting Rose, Alexandra, and the Doctor in as well. “Right, there we go,” he welcomed them. “Sorry about the mess. If you want a cup of tea, the kitchen’s just down there, milks in the fridge... well, it would be, wouldn’t it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there’s always the windowsill outside. I always thought if someone invented a windowsill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yoghurt... make a lot of money out of that,” he rambled on as Rose beamed at him, taking in every word. The Doctor nodded distractedly behind the blonde while Alexandra looked interested in what the man had to say. The Doctor sighed when he could hear the redhead making a note in the back of her head to make a windowsill with refrigerated compartments at some point in the future. “Sell it to students and things...” Pete trailed off in thought. “I should write that down.” 

** No need. ** The Doctor thought.  ** Stardust already has. **

_ OI!  _ Alexandra shouted in his mind.

Pete shook his head, “Anyway, never mind that, excuse me...” He gave them a curt nod before heading into another room, shutting the door to change.

“All the stuff Mum kept,” Rose sighed, looking around at the odds and ends littering the sitting room. “His stuff. She kept it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard, she used to show me when she’d had a bit to drink.”

Alexandra followed the blonde further into the room, but was more interested in glancing out the window every few seconds as if there was something out there that only she could see. The Doctor leaned against the doorframe, saying nothing. The redhead glanced at him worriedly feeling the anger beneath the calm exterior he had on.

“Here it is,” Rose continued. “On display. Where it should be.” The Doctor remained quiet watching her angrily with his arms folded over his chest. Rose didn’t notice at all as she picked up a trophy, “Third prize in bowling... first two got to go to  Didcot .” She looked at the trophy a little longer before replacing it where it had been as her eyes were drawn to containers of liquids in the corner of the room. Rose bent down to look at them. “Health drinks. Tonic, Mum used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He’s so clever.” Rose looked over and saw some blueprints on the coffee table. “Solar power. Mum said he was  gonna do this. Now he can.” Rose finally turned to look at the Doctor, but his demeaner remained impassive. She sighed, “Okay, look... I’ll tell him Alexandra isn’t my sister.”

“When we met, I said ‘travel with me in space,’” the Doctor recalled suspiciously. “You said no. Then, I said ‘time machine...’”

“It wasn’t some big plan,” Rose defended. “I just saw it happening and I thought... I can stop it.”

The Doctor shook his head angrily, muttering, “I did it again. I picked up another stupid ape. I should’ve known. It’s not about showing you the universe, it never is. It’s about the universe doing something for you.” Alexandra looked at the scene beginning to unfold in front of her with wide eyes.

Rose glared at him, “So it's okay when you go to other times, and you save people’s lives, but not when  it's me saving my dad?”

“I know what I’m doing. You don’t.”

“Having two sets of us there made that a vulnerable point in time, Rose,” Alexandra spoke up causing both of them to look at her. “I made it more so by seeing the second pair of us the first time.”

“But he’s alive!” Rose argued. 

“My entire planet died,” the Doctor countered causing a gloomy look to come across Alexandra’s face. “My whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?”

_ Oh, Apple Tree. _ Alexandra whispered in his mind causing him to glance up at the sad look on her face.

“But  it's not like I changed history,” Rose argued again. “Not much, I mean... he’s never  gonna be a world leader, he’s not  gonna start World War Three or anything...”

“Rose, there’s a man alive in the world today who wasn’t alive before,” the Doctor reminded her. “An ordinary man. That’s the most important thing in creation. The whole world’s different because he’s alive.”

Rose quirked an eyebrow, “What, would you rather him dead?”

“Of course not,” Alexandra reassured as she laid a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. 

The blonde jerked away from the redhead, “No, I get it!” She glared at the Doctor, “For once, you're not the most important people in my life.”

Alexandra’s eyebrows made a mad dash for her hairline at that before her face settled into a sneer.

The Doctor’s eye narrowed at the blonde, “Let’s see how you get on without us then. Give me the key.” He held out his hand as Rose’s eyes widened. “The Tardis key. If we’re so insignificant, give me it back.”

Rose sneered at him. “Alright then, I will,” She slapped the key into his hand. 

The Doctor nodded, “Well, you’ve got what you wanted so that’s goodbye then.” He grabbed Alexandra’s hand and pulled her towards the door.

“You don’t scare me,” Rose called after them. She pushed past them both, pulling a hiss from Alexandra, and stood between the two of them and the door. “You’ll be back in a minute. I know how sad you are.”

“Was,” the Doctor corrected.

Rose stepped back at the glare she could feel coming from under Alexandra’s sunglasses, “He said ‘was’ sad. He was sad because he’d just lost his planet, and was alone. He’s not anymore more though, is he? Cause he’s got me, and I’ve got him.”

The blonde just looked at them knowingly, “Yeah, but you won’t leave me here, you’ll hang around outside the Tardis, waiting for me.” The Doctor and Alexandra just glared at her before the Doctor pulled Alexandra past Rose, opening the door. “And I’ll make you wait a long time!” Rose yelled slamming the door behind them.

Pete stuck his head out the bedroom door, “So... your boyfriend then?”

Rose sighed heavily.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rose picked up peanuts that were strewn across the coffee table of the flat, putting them back on a plate when Pete entered, dressed in a suit. “Excuse me, do you mind?” he laughed. “What’re you tidying up for?”

The blonde stopped, “Sorry... force of habit.”

“Listen don’t worry about him. Couples have rows all the time.”

Rose rolled her eyes, “We’re not a couple!” She plopped down on the sofa, “Why does everyone think we’re a couple? He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Your sister’s then?” Pete guessed.

“She’s not my sister, but yes.” Rose took a breath, crossed her arms as she sighed, “I think they left me. They both left me.”

“A pretty girl like you?” Pete said in surprise. “If I was going out with you...”

“Stop!” Rose cried on the verge of being scarred for life at the mere thought of that, “Right there!”

“I was just saying...”

“I know what you’re saying, and we’re not going there. At no point are we going anywhere near there. You aren’t even aware that there exists.” Pete frowned as he tried to keep up with the blonde’s ramble. “I don’t even want to think about there, and believe me, neither do you. There... for you... is like... pfft. It’s like the Bermuda Triangle.”

“Blimey, you know how to flatter a bloke,” Pete  muttered .

Rose got off the couch, grabbing her jacket, and offering an arm to Pete, “Right, are we off?”

He nodded to her arm, “So, that wouldn’t be a mixed signal at all.”

“Absolutely not.”

Pete sighed as he took his arm, walking towards the door, “I’ll take you back to the loony bin where you belong. Still, I’m sure I’ve met you somewhere before...”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra’s anger had pretty much dissipated by the time they got close to the Tardis, and she was already planning how to fix Rose’s mistake. The Doctor on the other hand, well, he was still irate. Alexandra had a feeling that the man’s anger had bled through making her angrier than she really meant to be. 

The redhead glanced around again at the feeling of having eyes on her. There was nothing to see though. She sighed as the Tardis came into sight. However, she froze when she couldn’t feel the Tardis. Alexandra had gotten use to the gentle hum that was always in her head when she got near the time machine. It was  nowhere to be found though. 

Alexandra grabbed the back of the Doctor’s jacket as he went to put the key in the Tardis. He looked over to see the worry lines on her forehead. “Something is very wrong,” she whispered. Normally, when they got within a few feet of the Tardis, she could feel the hum of the machine in her head, but it was gone as if it had never been there in the first place.

He quickly opened the door to reveal the normally massive interior of the Tardis was gone. It was just a normal police box. The Doctor jumped inside, pressing against the walls getting a raised eyebrow from the redhead. 

Alexandra whipped around to look behind her before she took off. The Doctor looked to see the redhead dashing back the way they’d came. His eyes widened as tore off after her.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

”I met this bloke at the Horse’s, and he’s cutting me in on copyright,” Pete continued to speak of his inventions and business as he drove himself and Rose to the wedding.

“But I thought you were a proper business man and that...” Rose started.

“I wish!” Pete interrupted with a laugh. “Ah, I do a bit of this, a bit of  that , a straight bloke.”

“Right... so I must’ve heard wrong. So, really, you’re a bit of a... a Del Boy?”

“Oh, shoot me down in flames. You’re not related to my wife by any  chance, are you?”

Rose put a hand to her mouth as she realized something important, “Oh, my God... she’s  gonna be at the wedding.”

“What, Jackie?” Pete glanced at her. “Do you know her?’

“Sort of...”

“What’s she told you about me, then?”

Rose smiled softly at memories of what her mother had told her about her father, “She said she’d picked the most fantastic man in the world.”

“Must be a different Jackie then. She’d never say that.” It was silent for a minute before the radio began to play a rap song. Pete frowned, “This stuff goes right over my head.” He tapped the radio in irritation.

Rose looked at the radio in confusion. “That’s not out yet,” she muttered when she recognized the song.

“It’s a good job and all,” he grimaced.

The blonde pulled out her phone, “I’m just  gonna check my messages.”

“How  d’ya mean, messages?” Pete asked in confusion looking over to see the device in her hands, “Is that a phone?”

“Yeah...” Rose answered distractedly as she held it up to her ear.

The only message that played was, “Watson, come here, we need you. Watson, come here, we need you,” over and over again. Rose frowned in confusion before glancing at her father, who looked as puzzled as her as the same message began to come over the radio as well.

Pete looked up into the rearview mirror at the car behind him. As he rounded the corner, the car vanished, the driver throwing his hands over his eyes as it did.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

As Pete and Rose rounded the corner in the car, the same car that had nearly killed Pete appeared out of nowhere in front of them.

“Dad!” Rose gasped, seeing it.

Pete swerved sharply left to avoid it, beeping his horn, nearly crashing into the fence around the churchyard. He turned around in his seat to look back as the other car speed off while Rose looked straight ahead with wide eyes. 

“It’s that car!” Pete stated. “The same one as before!” He got out to look around, “It was right in front of us, where’s it gone?” He blinked turning to Rose as she got out as well, “You called me ‘Dad’, what did you say that for?”

Rose fumbled for an answer as another voice said, “Oh, wonderful.” They turned to see Jackie standing there with a baby carrier. “Here he is, the accident waiting to happen.” Rose gaped at her. “You’d be late for your own funeral and it nearly was.”

“No damage done,” Pete sighed.

“And who’s this?” Jackie looked at Rose in disdain, who was still gaping at her. “What’re you looking at with your mouth open?”

“Your hair...” Rose breathed.

“What?”

“I’ve never seen it like...” she paused, noticing to look Jackie was giving her. “I mean... it’s lovely, your hair’s lovely.” Rose spotted her baby self and took a few steps forwards with wide eyes, “And that baby you’re holding...” Jackie held the carrier closer to herself protectively. “That would be... your baby...”

Jackie glared at Pete, “Another one of yours, is she?”

“She saved my life!” Pete defended. 

“Oh, that’s a new one! What as it last time?”

“I didn’t even know her,” Pete rolled his eyes before turning to Rose to explain. “She was a cloakroom attendant. I was helping her look for my ticket. There were three duffel coats all the same, somehow the rack collapsed. We were under all this stuff.”

Rose looked scandalized, “Were you playing around?”

“What’s it got to do with you what he gets up to?” Jackie sneered.

“What does he get up to?” Rose countered.

“You’d know!”

“Oh, ‘cos I’m that stupid,” Pete scoffed. “I play around and then bring her home to meet the missus. You silly cow...”

“But you are that stupid.”

“Can we keep this stuff back at home? Just for now?”

“What, with the rest of the rubbish?” Jackie shook her head. “You bring home cut-priced detergents, tonic water, Betamax tape, and none of it works. I’m drowning in your rubbish.” She turned to Rose, “What did he tell you? Did he say he’s this big businessman, ‘cos he’s  not. He’s a failure. Born failure, that one. Rose needs a proper father...”

“Jackie, I’m making a living, it keeps us fed, don’t it?”

“Stop it!” Rose shouted, which resulted in both of them shutting up. “You’re not like this...” she swallowed back tears. “You love each other.”

“Oh, Pete,” Jackie shook her head in pity. “You never used to like them mental. Or I  dunno , maybe you did.”

“Jackie, wait, just listen...” he started.

“If you’re not careful, there’ll be a wedding and a divorce on the same day,” Jackie turned and stormed off with baby Rose, who’d begun crying.

“Right, wait here,” Pete turned to Rose, “Give us a couple of minutes with the missus.” He went to walk away, but came back to take the vase from her, and give her the car keys. “Tell you what, straighten the car up. Stick her round the corner or something. Don’t cause  any more trouble...”

He walked off, leaving Rose by the car with tears in her eyes.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rose watched silently as her mother and father argued a few feet away.

“I’m not listening,” Jackie said quietly. “It’s just the duffle coats all over again.”

“Jackie, sometimes a duffel coat is just a duffle coat,” Pete told her earnestly. “Things will get better soon, I promise.”

“I’ve had enough of your daft schemes. I never know where the next meal’s coming from.”

“I’ll get it right, love. I promise. One day soon I’ll get it right. Come on...”

Rose smiled as she watched her parents reconcile, but frowned when a little boy came running around the corner.

“Monsters!” the Boy cried. “Coming to eat us!”

“What sort of monsters, sweetheart?” a blonde woman asked placatingly. “Is it aliens?”

The adults began to laugh as the boy ran into the church. Rose continued to frown, taking the boy much more seriously  than anybody else.

“Rose!” She heard a familiar female voice shout from behind her.

Rose smirked as she turned around to see Alexandra and the Doctor racing towards her.

“Get in the church!” the Doctor shouted urgently.

Rose’s smile fell as she watched the redhead look to her left. Rose followed her gaze, and her eyes widened at the sight of a giant black creature with two wings and tail appear out of thin air. She screamed as it flew at her, but she was suddenly on the ground as Alexandra threw herself at the blonde.

The Doctor quickly ran over, helping both women up. “Get in the church!” He repeated, ordering the crowd to get inside. Everyone ran for the door, stopping short when another creature appeared before them.

“Oh, my God!” a blonde woman screamed. “What are they?”

The guests in the church moved to the doors to see what the big commotion outside was. Alexandra’s eyes widened, “No! Back inside.”

The creature turned towards the people at the door. 

“Stay in there!” The Doctor ordered.

Stuart Hoskins tried to get back inside, but his father didn’t listen, and instead tried to make a break for it. The creature quickly flew to him, encasing his body in its wings. Sarah Clarke, horrified, tried to run into the church, but the creature dropped down in front of her and she screamed. However, it went after an old priest instead. The Doctor and Alexandra began to push the guests inside the  church . 

“In,  in, in!” Alexandra pleaded.

More creatures appeared and dived towards the large double doors, but the Doctor managed to shut them only moments before the creatures reached them. The creatures screamed as the collided with the door.

Everyone began to panic now that they were essentially trapped. The Doctor looked around at the shadows of the creatures by the windows. Alexandra had a gold hand pressed to the lock of the large double door. 

“They can’t get in,” the Doctor said. “Old windows and doors. The older something is, the stronger it is.”

Alexandra smirked as she came up beside him, “Kinda like you, then?”

The Doctor ignored the compliment as his mind was elsewhere, “What else?” He caught sight of another door, “Go and check the other doors!” He ran off to a door on the right while Alexandra just stared around the room with golden eyes glowing under her sunglasses. 

Jackie ran up to the Doctor as he pushed on a wooden door to test it, “What’s happening? What are they” She shook his arm frantically, “What are they?”

“There’s been an accident in time, a wound in time,” the Doctor mutters quickly. “They’re like bacteria taking advantage-”

“What do you mean ‘time’?” Jackie interrupted. “What are you jabbering on about? ‘Time’?”

“Oh, I might’ve known you’d argue,” the Doctor groans. “Jackie, I’m sick of you complaining-”

“How do you know my name?”

“I haven’t got time for this...”

“I’ve never me you in my life!”

“No, and you never will unless I sort this out!” the Doctor shouted loudly causing Jackie to quiet. “Now, if you don’t mind! I’ve waited a long time to say this: Jackie Tyler, do as I say! Go! And! Check! The! Doors!”

Jackie stared at him with wide eyes for a moment. “Yes, sir...” she muttered before running off.

The Doctor saw Alexandra staring at him with a smirk on her face.  _ Is it a bad time to say that I found that very attractive? _ She asks in his mind. 

He beamed, pleased with himself as Stuart approached him, “I should’ve done that ages ago.”

“My Dad was out there...” the other man began.

“You can mourn him later. Right  now , we’ve got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive.”

“My Dad had...”

“There’s nothing I can do for him.”

“No, but he had this phone thing. I can’t get it to work. I keep getting this voice...”

The Doctor dialed Alexandra’s phone number and held the phone to his ear only to hear the same message that Rose had heard on her own phone earlier. The Doctor’s eyes widened as he tossed the phone back to Stuart,” Alexandra, you’ll love this. That’s the very first phone call, Alexandra Graham Bell.”

The redhead looked in awe at him as he continued, “I don’t think the telephone’s  gonna be much use.”

He made to run and check on another door when Stuart called, “But someone  must call the police. 

The Doctor shook his head, “Police can’t help you now, no one can.” He turned towards Rose, his gaze hardening, “Nothing in this Universe can harm those things. Time’s been damaged and they’ve come to sterilize the wound... by consuming everything in sight.”

Rose took a shaky breath,” Is this because... is this my fault?”

He didn’t answer her verbally, but gave her a look that told her it was. Then, he walked past her. 

Alexandra grimaces as she feels one of the creatures collide with the golden walls, she had put around one of the doors. She felt something dripping down her face from her nose, and lifted her hand to wipe it away. Her eyes widened to see that it was blood.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor and Alexandra were still dashing around the church to make sure that all the possible exits were going to be able to withhold under the pressure of the creatures slamming into them, when Stuart and Sarah approached them.

“Excuse me!” Stuart called. “Mr...”

“Doctor,” the Doctor muttered as he pushed on a door while Alexandra put a glowing hand to the lock. 

“Right, and Ms....”

Alexandra beamed at them, holding out a hand, “Alexandra Crowley. Nice to meet you.”

The man cleared his throat, “You two seem to know what’s going on.”

“I give that impression, yeah,” the Doctor replies.

“I just wanted to ask...”

“Can you save us?” Sarah cut in.

The Doctor turned to face them, and observed them as he walked up to stand on Alexandra’s left. “Who are you two, then?”

The redhead rolled her eyes, “Stuart Hoskins and Sarah Clark. The bride and groom.”

The Doctor nodded as he looked as Sarah’s obvious baby bump, “And one extra. Boy or girl?”

“I don’t know,” Sarah rubbed her stomach. “I don’t want to know, really.”

Alexandra smiled softly, “Just so long as they come into the world safe, right?”

Sarah nodded with a  teary-eyed smile. 

“How did all this get started then?” The Doctor asks curiously.

Sarah smiled as Stuart began to explain, “Outside the Big Box Club. Two in the morning.”

“Street corner,” Sarah added with a laugh. “I’d lost my purse. Didn’t have money for a taxi.”

“I took her home.”

“Then what?” the Doctor smirked. “Asked her for a date?”

“Wrote his number on the back of my hand,” Sarah confirmed.

“Never got rid of her since,” Stuart grinned. “My Dad said...” he trailed off.

Sarah bit her lip as her eyes teared up again, “I don’t know what this is all about, and I know we’re not important...”

The Doctor frowned, “Who said you’re not important? I’ve travelled to all sorts of places. Done things you couldn’t even imagine, but... you two... street corner. Two in the morning. Getting a taxi home. I’ve never had a life like that.” He nodded. “Yes. I’ll try and save you.”

Alexandra had a  reminiscent look on her face as she hums, “We both will.”

They both watched as the couple walked off. The redhead looked at the Doctor knowingly, “Might not be a normal life, but I’d just like to remind you for the umpteenth time... apple tree in the middle of the night.”

The Doctor shook his head fondly at her before he pulled her into his arms, leaning down to kiss her softly.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra beamed as baby Rose giggled as the levitated a forget-me-not above the infant. 

“You’re quite good with her,” the Doctor commented as he came to stand beside her now that he was confident that the church would hold up for a little while. 

The redhead beamed at him, “Thank you. My friend Lillian is quite a few years younger than me, so I’ve had practice.” She glances at him and risks asking a rather personal question, “Were you...” She doesn’t finish her question as she watches him swallow hard with a small nod. She winces, “Sorry.” Alexandra reaches out to give his arm a squeeze as he  sits behind her looking at baby Rose over her shoulder. 

The Doctor leans forwards a bit. “Now, Rose... you’re not  gonna bring about the end of the world, are you?” he asks the infant sternly. “Are you?”

Alexandra giggles as adult Rose comes towards them. She smiles at the blonde, “Jackie gave you to me to look after. Some things never change.”

Rose nodded. “I’d better be careful,” she spoke, trying to lighten the mood a little. “I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken.” She smiled down at her younger self, reaching out towards her, but the Doctor quickly grabbed her hand and pushed it back.

“No,” he said. “Don’t touch the baby.”

The Reapers outside the church screeched loudly, and Alexandra winced as one butted against one of her walls. 

“You’re both the same person,” the Doctor explained. “we don’t want a paradox happening, not with these things outside. Anything new, any disturbance in time makes them stronger... a paradox might let them in.”

“Can’t do anything right, can I?” Rose asked.

“Since you ask, no,” the Doctor said slowly. “So, Don’t. Touch. The. Baby.”

“I’m. Not. Stupid.” Rose spat at him with a glare.

“You could’ve fooled me!” the Doctor countered before grimacing as had connected with the back of his head. He turned to see Alexandra giving him a warning look. He sighed as he turned back to Rose, “Alright. I’m sorry. I wasn’t really  gonna leave you on your own.”

“I know.”

“But between the three of us, I haven’t got a plan... no idea... no way out.”

Alexandra frowned sadly as she gently rubbed his back.

“You’ll think of something,” Rose said quietly. 

“The entire Earth is being sterilized,” the Doctor told her seriously. “This, and other places like it, are all that’s left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures.” He watched a shadow fly past the windows. “They’ll get through in the end. The walls aren’t that old, and there’s nothing we can do to stop them.” He sighed, “There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening, my people would have stopped this, but they’re all gone...” Alexandra took his hand. “And now I'm going the same way.”

“If I’d realized...” Rose started.

The Doctor looked at her, “Just... tell me you’re sorry.”

“I am. I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not. At least not completely,” Alexandra cut in, knowingly. She looked over her sunglass at the blonde to reveal glowing golden eyes. Both the Doctor and Rose blanched at her. “You might be sorry that this happened, but you’re not sorry about the actions you took to make it happen.”

Alexandra blinked before reaching for her chest to reveal that the Tardis key was glowing as well. Rose looks at the key in awe as she reaches out for it, only to pull her hand back quickly, “OW!”

The Doctor quickly knocks the key out of Alexandra’s hand, grabbing it to check if it had been hurt as well, but it was untouched. Ivory skin was unmarred. Alexandra seemed out of it as the Doctor hopped off the platform, “It’s the Tardis key!”

“We can see that, Dumbo,” Alexandra teased.

“Cheek,” the Doctor mutters as he takes off his leather jacket, leaving him in only his green jumper, as he picks the key up with the sleeve of his jacket. “Its’ telling me it’s still connected to the Tardis!”

The Doctor beams at the two women.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Doctor stood at the altar, addressing the guests gathered around in the church, “The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound, but we can use this to bring it back.” He held up the key. “And once I’ve got my ship back, then I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a batter?”

Stuart looked around before eyeing his father’s phone on the chair next to him. He grabbed it and quickly jumped up, holding it out to the Doctor, “This one big enough?”

The Doctor rushed over to him, “Fantastic.”

“Good old Dad,” Stuart smiled sadly. “There you go.”

The Doctor takes the back off, muttering, “Just need to do a bit of charging up...” He pressed his sonic to the battery, “And then we can bring everyone back.”

Alexandra sat in the back by the large double doors as Reapers rammed it. Blood tricked out of her nose, but she quickly wiped it away.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra had her eyes shut tightly when the sound of the Tardis materializing met her ears. She slowly opened them to see that the Doctor was standing in front of a slowly materializing Tardis that was phasing in and out. He put his leather jacket back on and grinned as he dashed back up to the altar.

“Right, no one touches that key,” he ordered. “Have you got that? Don’t touch it. Anyone touches that key, it’ll be, well, ZAP!” Alexandra raises an eyebrow as he gestures violently towards the Tardis. “Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We’ll get out of here. All of us. Stuart, Sarah, you're  gonna get married, just like I said.” He beamed at them encouragingly before looking at the Tardis.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Slowly the Tardis was continuing to materialize while everyone sat, waiting for it to be solid enough, so that they could be saved. The Doctor sat in one of the back rows with Alexandra resting her head on his right shoulder, and Rose sat on the redhead’s right. Pete sat on the row behind them as Jackie cast a  contemptuous glance at Rose. 

“When time gets sorted out...” Rose started  to ask the Doctor quietly.

“Everybody here forgets what happened,” the Doctor answered. “And don’t worry, the thing that you changed will stay changed.”

“You mean I’ll stay alive,” Pete remarked bitterly. The trio turned sharply to face him. “Though I’m meant to be dead. That’s why I haven’t done anything with my life. Why I didn’t mean anything.”

Alexandra looked at him sadly, “That’s not how it works at all, Pete. Some people live more in a shorter amount of time than those that have long lives.”

“Rubbish,” he waved the redhead off. “I’m so useless I couldn’t even die properly. Now it’s my fault all of this has happened.”

Rose reached over to put  a hand on his arm, “This is my fault.”

“No, love, I’m your Dad. It’s my job for it to be my fault.”

“Her Dad?” Jackie stood before them looking at him in disgust. “How are you, her Dad? How old were you, twelve?”

The Doctor rolled his eyes before he got up, gently taking Alexandra’s hand before pulling her off to the side.

“Oh, that’s disgusting!” Jackie continued.

“Jacks, listen,” Pete stood up. “This is Rose.”

“Rose?” Jackie said in a low voice. “How sick is that? You give my daughter a secondhand name? How many are there? Do you call them all Rose?”

“Oh, for God’s sake, look! It’s the same Rose!” Alexandra watched in horror as Pete took the baby from Jackie’s arms and moved to place her in Rose’s, and Rose reached out for the baby.

The Doctor’s eyes widened, “Rose! No!”

They were too late. 

He had grabbed the baby from Rose’s arms just as a Reaper appeared in the center of the church. The guests screamed, jumping up and running for the large double doors. The Doctor handed baby Rose off to Alexandra, “Everyone! Behind me!”

Everyone gathered behind him as the Reaper shrieked, spreading its wings. The Doctor turned to Alexandra, his face filled with panic, “Watch out for them.” Alexandra’s eyes widened as he turned back around to face the Reaper. “I’m the oldest thing in here!”

“NO!” Alexandra screamed, handing baby Rose off to Jackie as she recalled what the Doctor had said earlier. However, she was too slow to do anything, and could only watch in horror as the Reaper consumed him.

The Reaper then flew into the air, higher in the chruch, getting ready to attack another person when it collided with the semi-transparent Tardis. It along with the Tardis disappeared causing the no longer glowing key to fall to the floor.

Alexandra felt unbearably numb as she made her way down the aisle to pick up the key. She looked at Rose, “Cold. It’s cold.”

Rose gasped as Pete made her way slowly to his daughter, “Oh, my God, he’s dead...” Pete put his hand on Rose’s arm, but she shook him off. “It’s all my fault... all of you... both of you... the whole world... it’s my fault...”

“ Yesssssssssss !” Alexandra snarled at the blonde. “It  isssssssssss , you  ssssstupid ape!”

“I’m sorry!” Rose sobbed. 

Alexandra sneered at her, “Go away.”

Rose cried as she fled to the back row of seat while the redhead sunk to her knees with the key clutched tightly to her chest. She’d been wrong... it wasn’t numbness that she was feeling. She felt empty... like every last bit of happiness has been ripped out of her.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rose sat in the back row of the now dark church, silent with grief. She couldn’t even fault the redhead for snapping so violently at her. She’d been the reason the love of Alexandra’s life was gone. 

“The Doctor really cared about you...” Peter said, standing with his jacket in his arms. Rose looked up at him. “He didn’t want you to go through it again if there was another way. Now there isn’t.”

Rose stood, “What are you talking about?’

Alexandra looked up with golden glowing eyes and the lock on the double door popped loudly. 

“The car that should’ve killed me, love,” Pete explained, putting his jacket on, “It’s here. The Doctor worked it out way back, but he... he tried to protect me.” He glanced at the redhead watching them with rapt attention, “Her too if I had to guess.”

“ Yessss .” the hissed words traveled across the church as if she’d been standing next to them.

Rose had tears in her eyes yet again.

“Still...” Pete nodded. “He’s not here and that key won’t work. It’s up to me now.”

“But you can’t...” Rose’s voice broke.

Pete reached out to stroke her face, “Who am I love?”

“My Daddy,” Rose said tearfully as Jackie made her way over to them with wide eyes.

“Jackie... look at her. She’s ours.”

Jackie looked at Rose. “Oh, God...” she breathed, pulling Rose into a hug.

“I’m meant to be dead, Jackie,” Pete explained when Jackie pulled away. “You’re  gonna get rid of me at last.”

“Don’t say that,” Jackie said with tears in her own eyes now.

“For once in your life, trust me. It’s  gotta be done. You’ve got to survive, because you’ve got to bring up our daughter,” he nodded to Rose before pulling Jackie in for one last kiss. He sighed looking at Rose, “I never read you those bedtime stories. I never took you on those picnics. I was never there for you.”

“You would’ve been,” she argued.

“But I can do this for you. I can be a proper Dad to you now.”

“But  it's not fair.”

Alexandra was suddenly right next to the blonde with a gentle hand on her shoulder, “No, it’s not. It never is.”

Pete looked at Rose softly, “I’ve had all these extra hours. No one else in the world has ever had that, and on top of that... I get to see you.” He took her face in his hands, “And you’re beautiful.” Rose sobbed silently. “How lucky am I, eh? So, come on... do as you Dad says.” With tears still streaming down her face, Rose grabbed the vase and handed it to him. “Are you going to be there for me, love?” She nodded. Pete put a hand on her shoulder, “Thanks for saving me.”

Pete pulled Jackie and Rose into one last embrace before racing out of the doors of the church with the vase in hand. He ran outside, through the gate, looking up as a Reaper began to bear down on him. He turned to see the car appear out of nowhere and ran to the corner, and straight out in front of it. He screwed his eyes shut, “Goodbye, love...”

The driver threw his arm over his eyes as the car collided with Pete. The vase crashed to the ground, shattering upon impact. The Reapers disappeared, and Alexandra shagged as she let the walls, she had put up fall, and lead Rose outside. 

Rose put her head down, taking a few deep breaths. 

Neither woman noticed when the Doctor stepped out of the church behind them and looked at them for a moment, before he put a hand on Rose’s shoulder, “Go to him. Quick.”

Rose dashed to of the church gates and down the road to kneel by her father, holding his hand as he died.

The Doctor turned to Alexandra, who was looking at him as if she didn’t believe that he was really there. Then, she gripped the lapels of his leather jacket tightly as she pulled him down for kiss. Pouring all her emotions into it as his arms wrapped around her waist. She pulled back to cup his face in her hands as tears rolled down her cheeks, “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

He looked at her in surprise. He’d been expecting her signature, ‘Have I told you how much I hate you?’ speech. The surprise melted into a small smile as he pushed her hair out of her face, “I think you just did.” He rests his forehead on hers, “I love you too, Stardust.”

She let out a shaky breath as she pulled away from him to grip his right hand. He pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Come on,” he whispered, leading her towards Rose as other people began to come out the church to see what the big commotion outside was.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alexandra shot up in bed, clutching the Tardis blue comforter to her chest as she stared around the room in confusion. It had felt like something had just exploded in to being, but she’d been fast asleep. She glanced to her right to see the Doctor fast asleep following exertion of their first time ‘making love’ as Alexandra had chosen to call it went, she practically pounced on the Doctor the moment they were alone in the console room. If the console wasn’t broken in before, it definitely was now. She blinked as her confusion deepened at the feelings of tears rolling down her cheeks. She wiped them away before lying back down, facing the Doctor, just watching him sleep. 

Alexandra decided to try and get back to sleep, and chalked the whole experience up to being truly happy for the first time in her life


End file.
